Table 1 Demographic characteristics of patients initiating treatment in the Limbe ART programme, 2002 to 2005
| Â | All patients [n(%), N = 2920] | Patients enrolled before 1 Oct 2004 [n(%), N = 1487] | Patients enrolled after 1 Oct 2004 [n(%), N = 1433] |
|---|---|---|---|
Age category* | Â | Â | Â |
   < 30** | 723 (25.8) | 357 (26.0) | 366 (25.6) |
   30+ | 2081 (74.2) | 1017 (74.0) | 1064 (74.4) |
Median age, years (range) | 35 (0.5-73) | 35 (1-73) | 35 (0.5-73) |
   Female | 33 (0.7-73) | 34 (1-71) | 33 (0.7-72) |
   Male | 38 (0.5-73) | 38 (1-73) | 37 (0.5-73) |
Sex* | Â | Â | Â |
   Female | 1815 (62.3) | 886 (59.6) | 929 (64.8) |
   Male | 1104 (37.7) | 600 (40.4) | 504 (35.2) |
Median follow-up time, months (range) | 6.2 (0.03-46.3) | 15.8 (0.03-46.3) | 3.4 (0.03-14.5) |
Person-years follow up | 2462.5 | 1925.6 | 536.9 |
Patients receiving treatment | Â | Â | Â |
   ART naïve | 2864 (98.1) | 1458 (98.0) | 1406 (98.1) |
Patients previously on ART who were transferred from other centres | 56 (1.9) | 29 (2.0) | 27 (1.9) |
Occupation* | Â | Â | Â |
   Gainfully employed | 2044 (74.3) | 969 (73.2) | 1075 (75.3) |
   Unemployed/dependent | 706 (25.7) | 354 (26.8) | 352 (24.7) |
Marital status* | Â | Â | Â |
   Married | 1166 (42.0) | 577 (42.9) | 589 (41.1) |
   Single | 1207 (43.5) | 570 (42.4) | 637 (44.5) |
   Previous marriage | 404 (14.5) | 197 (14.7) | 207 (14.5) |
Residence by distance to ART clinic* | Â | Â | Â |
   Residents in Limbe town | 621 (22.1) | 311 (22.7) | 310 (21.7) |
   Residents < 40 km from Limbe | 801 (28.6) | 395 (28.8) | 406 (28.4) |
   Residents 40-150 km from Limbe | 788 (28.1) | 384 (28.0) | 404 (28.2) |
   Residents > 150 km from Limbe | 454 (16.2) | 217 (15.8) | 237 (16.5) |
   Residents from Douala, 74 km away*** | 139 (5.0) | 64 (4.7) | 75 (5.2) |
Means of payment for antiretroviral drugs* | Â | Â | Â |
   Entirely paid by programme or employer | 87 (3.7) | 48 (4.1) | 39 (3.4) |
   Paid by self, family or partly by other | 2241 (96.3) | 1134 (95.9) | 1107 (96.6) |