Perspectives of adults living with HIV attending the opportunistic infections clinic at Chitungwiza central hospital in Zimbabwe towards physical activity: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background Regular physical activity and exercise have been shown to be of benefit in managing the HIV disease, its complications and the side effects of HAART. The perceptions of those living with HIV toward physical activity and exercises is a key factor in advocating for participation of rehabilitation personnel in the management of this disease. However, this domain remains underexplored in Zimbabwe. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 327 people living with HIV. Participants were consecutively sampled from Chitungwiza Central Hospital Opportunistic Clinic. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) were respectively used to measure the physical activity level and perceived benefits/barriers of physical exercise among adults living with HIV. The tools were self-administered. The analyses were done for 323 participants using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results The mean age was 41.1 ± 11.0. Females constituted 69.7% (n = 225) of the sample. The majority of participants (n = 184; 57%) described themselves as being highly physically active (3204;IQR = 2139–4441 MET-minutes/week). Most of the participants agreed that physical activity prevented heart attacks with a mean value of 3.34 ± 0.65. The majority perceived psychological outlook as the greatest benefit from physical activity among the benefit sub-scales. Furthermore, most of the participants agreed that it cost too much for them to exercise which had a mean of 3.00 ± 0.88. Family discouragement was the most agreed perceived barrier to physical activity with a mean of 2.91 ± 0.67. Those who perceived physical activity as being beneficial reported less barriers. A statistically significant association was found between level of physical activity and CD4 cell count (p = 0.035) as well as with employment status (p < 0.05). No statistically significant association was reported between the perceived benefits and the level of physical activity (p = 0.214). A statistically significant association was reported between the perceived barriers and age (p < 0.05) as well as with employment status (p = 0.006). Conclusion Adults living with HIV receiving HAART at Chitungwiza Central Hospital are highly active when compared to other studies done in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also important to create interventions that promote physical activity considering what this population considers as perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity.

Low-level physical activity predictors among adults living with HIV in Ethiopia’s southern region, focusing on work, transportation, and recreation domains: unmatched case-control study

“…These individuals had either returned to regular follow-up care or had registered for the first time and took part in a one-year survey to establish a database [ 10 , 17 ]. The study population included PLWHs who met the conventional criteria for defining cases (LLPA performers) or controls (non-LLPA performers, such as MLPA and HLP performers), as well as the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria for each comparison group [ 9 ].…”

“…In this study, a case refers to a confirmed HIV + individual who took part in a previous survey and is now classified as an LLPA performer based on the study’s eligibility criteria, which were derived from prior databases [ 10 , 17 ]. The study’s criteria for defining a case included the WHO’s previous recommendation for comparison [ 9 ]. This guideline defines a case or LLPA performer as a low-intensity, low-effort activity that does not greatly elevate heart rate or cause sweating and does not meet the standards for MLPA or HLPA categories.…”

“…This guideline defines a case or LLPA performer as a low-intensity, low-effort activity that does not greatly elevate heart rate or cause sweating and does not meet the standards for MLPA or HLPA categories. The study’s criteria for defining a case included the WHO’s former recommendation for comparison [ 9 ]. According to this guideline, a case or LLPA performer is a low-intensity, effort-intensive activity that does not significantly increase heart rate or sweat and does not meet MLPA or HLPA category standards.…”

“…Physical activity (PA) is essential for adults living with HIV (PLWHs) as it helps prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs), manage hypertension, maintain weight, and improve mental health [ 9 ]., However, many PLWHs do not engage in sufficient PA, which impacts their overall health [ 4 – 6 ]. The WHO recommends that healthy adults engage in 150 min of moderate-intensity activity, 75 min of vigorous-intensity activity, or a combination of both [ 9 ]. Accordingly, this study assessed the levels of PA among PLWHs in work, transportation, and recreation domains, categorized into high, moderate, and low PA levels.…”

“…Accordingly, this study assessed the levels of PA among PLWHs in work, transportation, and recreation domains, categorized into high, moderate, and low PA levels. Low-level physical activity (LLPA) is defined as low-intensity, effort-intensive activity that promotes movement, burns calories, improves circulation, and reduces sedentary behavior, and not meeting the WHO criteria set to define high-level or moderate-level activity criteria [ 9 – 11 ]. LLPA is a minimally intense, effort-intensive activity that doesn’t significantly increase heart rate or cause sweating, excluding individuals who don’t meet moderate or high-level criteria.…”