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Table 6 Antiretroviral therapy initiation by 90 days of HIV diagnosis, and combined antiretroviral therapy initiation and retention by 18 months of diagnosis, by barriers-to-care subgroups, CommLink clients, Manzini region, Eswatini, March 2016 – April 2020

From: Antiretroviral therapy initiation and retention among clients who received peer-delivered linkage case management and standard linkage services, Eswatini, 2016–2020: retrospective comparative cohort study

 

Unadjusted

Adjusteda

 

Characteristics

Clients

n (%)

% (95% CI)

RR (95% CI)

p-value

ART Initiated by 90 days of diagnosisb

 ≥ 3 unresolved barriers

44

24 (54.6)

53.8 (35.2, 82.2)

Referent

 

 1–2 unresolved barriers

243

216 (88.9)

87.3 (85.5, 89.0)

1.62 (1.05, 2.51)

0.0296

 All barriers resolved

316

301 (95.3)

89.8 (87.8, 92.0)

1.67 (1.09, 2.55)

0.0177

 No barriers

170

158 (92.9)

90.6 (88.2, 93.0)

1.69 (1.08, 2.63)

0.0212

ART initiated and retained by 18 months of diagnosisb,c

  ≥ 3 unresolved barriersd

44

24 (54.6)

53.2 (45.1, 62.9)

Referent

 

 1–2 unresolved barriers

243

188 (77.4)

75.4 (70.6, 80.4)

1.42 (1.19, 1.68)

 < 0.0001

 All barriers resolved

316

255 (80.7)

76.6 (73.7, 79.5)

1.44 (1.25, 1.66)

 < 0.0001

 No barriers

170

145 (85.3)

81.8 (78.1, 85.6)

1.54 (1.30, 1.81)

 < 0.0001

  1. SLS peer-delivered standard linkage services, ART antiretroviral therapy, RR relative risk, CI confidence interval, Tinkhundla regional geopolitical subdivisions of Eswatini
  2. aEstimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) models with a log link (SAS 9.4) adjusting for age group (initiated and retained by 18 months of diagnosis only), sex, urban or rural area of HIV diagnosis, and within-Tinkhundla clustering (model did not converge with age-group variable included for ART initiated by 90 days of diagnosis)
  3. bAmong all CommLink clients (n = 773)
  4. cRetained is defined as not being more than 90 days late for the last antiretroviral refill appointment
  5. dClients initiated and retained on ART by 18 months of diagnosis (n = 24) are not all the same clients as those who initiated ART by 90 days of diagnosis (n = 24)