Putting episodic disability into context: a qualitative study exploring factors that influence disability experienced by adults living with HIV/AIDS

Table 1 Participant characteristics (n = 38)

Characteristic	Number (%)
Gender
Male	21 (55%)
Female	16 (42%)
Transgendered	1 (3%)
Mean age (years) (range)	41 (27-58)
Identified with a particular ethnic group	23 (60%)**
Nadir CD4 count <200 cells/mm³	19 (50%)
Diagnosed prior to 1996	17 (45%)
Experienced an HIV-related illness	11 (73%)*†
Currently taking HIV medications	25 (66%)
Currently working	6 (40%)* (3 full time, 3 part time)
Self-rated health status
Poor	0 (0%)
Fair	2 (5%)
Good	16 (42%)
Very good	15 (39%)
Excellent	5 (14%)
HIV Symptom Index
Median number of symptoms present	15/20 (IQR: 8-18)
Median number of bothersome symptoms	13/20 (IQR: 8-18)^

*denominator of 15 interview participants only
**13 identified themselves as African/African Caribbean/black African/black; 2 Jewish; 1 West Indian; 1 Latin; 1 Italian Canadian; 1 Irish Canadian; 1 French Italian; 1 English British; 1 white caucasian; 1 not specified.
†most common HIV-related illness included pneumonia/lung infection/PCP pneumonia (n = 6 participants).
^ Most bothersome symptoms included fatigue or loss of energy, feeling sad, down or depressed, and feeling nervous or anxious.
IQR - interquartile range