Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants during the START-ART and the sustainability period
Characteristics | During the START-ART Intervention (N = 438) | Sustainability period (1 year after end of the intervention) (N = 425) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
Sex* | |||
Male | 160 (36.5%) | 161 (38.0%) | 0.662 |
Female | 278 (63.5%) | 263 (62.0%) | 0.009 |
Level of health center (HC) | |||
HC3 | 281 (64.2%) | 308 (72.5%) | |
HC4 | 157 (35.8%) | 117 (17.5%) | 0.744 |
Location of health center | |||
Peri-urban | 192 (43.8) | 191 (44.9) | |
Rural | 246 (56.2) | 234 (55.1) | 0.464 |
Age in years at eligibility | |||
≤ 35 | 317 (72.37) | 298 (70.12) | |
> 35 | 121 (27.63) | 127 (29.90) | |
Median age (IQR) | 29.0 (25.0–36.0) | 30.0 (25.0–38.0) | 0.464 |
CD4 count at eligibility (cells/μl)* | |||
≤ 50 | 20 (4.56) | 11 (2.6) | |
> 50 | 376 (85.84) | 335 (78.8) | |
Median CD4 count (IQR) | 340 (216–453) | 353.5 (215–447.0) | 0.017 |
Eligibility WHO stage* | |||
Stages 1 and 2 | 358 (81.7%) | 396 (93.2%) | 0.002 |
Stages 3 and 4 | 33 (7.5%) | 18 (4.2%) | |
Tuberculosis (TB) at ART eligibility | |||
TB present | 2 (0.5%) | 14 (3.3%) | 0.688 |
No TB | 436 (99.5%) | 411 (96.7%) | |
Pregnant status at ART eligibility* | |||
Pregnant | 90 (32.4%) | 75 (28.6%) | 0.001 |
Not pregnant | 188 (67.6%) | 169 (64.5%) | |
Time to ART initiation after becoming eligible | |||
Within 14 days | 339 (77.4%) | 375 (88.2% | |
After 14 days | 99 (22.6%) | 50 (11.8%) | |