Loss to follow-up among children and adolescents growing up with HIV infection: age really matters

摘要: Introduction : Globally, increasing numbers of HIV-infected children are reaching adolescence due to antiretroviral therapy (ART). We investigated rates loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) from HIV care services among as they transition childhood through adolescence. Methods Individuals aged 5–19 years initiated on ART in a public-sector clinic Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, between 2005 and 2009 were included retrospective cohort study. Participants categorized into narrow age-bands namely: 5–9 (children), 10–14 (young adolescents) 15–19 (older adolescents). The effect age at initiation, current (using time-updated Lexis expansion) transitioning one group the next LTFU was estimated using Poisson regression. Results Of 2273 participants, 1013, 875 385 5–9, years, respectively. Unlike those starting children, individuals young adolescents had higher after moving older adolescent age-band (Adjusted rate ratio (ARR) 1.54; 95% CI: 0.94–2.55) similarly, being adults (ARR 1.79; 1.05–3.07). In adolescents, who started that compared younger = 1.70; 1.05, 2.77). This however did not hold true for other age-groups. Conclusions Adolescents age-groups, with particularly high risk all analyses. Age-updated analyses examine movement across paramount understanding how developmental heterogeneity affects outcomes. Keywords  transition; adolescent; HIV; Africa; lost-to-follow-up To access supplementary material this article please see  Supplementary Files  under Article Tools online. (Published: 17 July 2017) Kranzer K et al.  Journal International AIDS Society  2017,  20 :21737 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/21737  |  http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.20.1.21737