Table 2

Demographic, social and health status information and predicting HIV symptom intensity from demographic, social and disease characteristics

Independent variables

N

M (SD)

Regression equation

Symptom intensity

1 (adjusted R square = .08)

2 (adjusted R square = .16)

3(adjusted R square = .20)

Gender

Beta

Beta

Beta

Male

104

24.6 (12.3)

.07

.01

.02

Female

406

25.9 (13.9)

Age

< 35 years

352

24.9 (13.4)

.05

.13*

.07

35 years and more

253

27.7 (14.0)

Educational level

Grade 7 and less

158

30.0 (14.5)

-.20

-.18**

-.07

Grade 8–11

296

26.1 (13.3)

Grade 12 and above

152

22.2 (12.6)

Geolocality

1. Rural

255

22.6 (13.4)

--

--

--

2. Informal settlements (shanty towns or squatter camps)

40

29.9 (13.1)

.13***

.08

.14

3. Urban

212

28.3 (13.3)

.20***

.19**

.05

Do you have health insurance?

Yes

53

23.9 (13.6)

.11*

.17*

No

455

25.8 (13.3)

Often or sometimes not enough food in past 12 months

Yes

292

29.0 (13.5)

.14*

.28***

No

211

21.9 (12.8)

Disability grant for advanced HIV

Yes

213

25.5 (13.1)

-.19***

-.12

No

111

31.3 (15.0)

Disability grant stopped

Yes

78

30.5 (15.2)

.06

.15

No

209

25.4 (13.2)

Have you been given an AIDS diagnosis?

Yes

349

27.5 (13.0)

-.00

No

157

21.6 (13.9)

Hospitalized in past 3 months

Yes

81

29.7 (13.7)

.11

No

425

24.9 (13.5)

Most recent CD4

< 200

196

28.4 (13.4)

-.12

200–350

145

26.2 (13.8)

> 350

169

23.7 (14.1)

ART

Yes

292

26.0 (13.0)

.27***

No

297

26.2 (14.3)

ART

One year and more

123

25.2 (13.4)

-.13

None or less than one year

109

29.2 (14.1)

Taking traditional medicine for HIV

Yes

40

26.2 (13.5)

-.11

No

549

26.3 (15.8)

***P < .001, **P < .01, *P < .05

Peltzer and Phaswana-Mafuya BMC Health Services Research 2008 8:271   doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-271