Physical exercises undertaken by people living with HIV/AIDS attending General Hospital Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is one of the world most serious public health challenges. The use of antiretroviral therapy has increased the life expectancy for people living with HIV/AIDS and also decreased the clinical features of HIV. However, some metabolic changes have emerged with negative effects such as increase in blood lipids, central obesity, hypodystrophy and decreased aerobic capacity. These are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, cancer and mortality. A common practice among non HIV positive populations is to modify these risk factors by engaging in exercise. Hence, people living with HIV/AIDS can also benefit from it as it will make them live healthier while ageing with HIV. This study revealed information about the types of physical exercises undertaken by the people living with HIV/AIDS attending the antiretroviral clinic of General Hospital Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was carried out in 2014 with 422 sample size obtained through systematic sampling technique. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data assisted by two trained research assistants. The data was analyzed descriptively using frequency and percentages and chi-square was used to test for association at 95% confidence interval using statistical package for social sciences version 20.0 computer software programme. Walking and running were the types of physical exercises undertaken by most of the respondents followed by farming. Physical exercise was found to be significantly associated (p<0.05) with the age, sex, highest educational qualification and occupation of the respondents. Since physical exercise is very important for the people living with HIV/AIDS there is need for the health workers to encourage them to engage in physical exercise in order to decrease their risk of cardiovascular diseases, improve their immune system, manage their weight and reduce other health risk and by extension, enhance their quality of life.