HIV/AIDS consequents in disability and mortality including muscle wasting and weakness, fatigue, impaired functional and work capacity, depression, and decreased quality of life. The mechanism explaining the relationship between exercise capacity and Health-related Quality of Life of persons living with HIV/AIDS is still obscure. This study investigated the relationship between the exercise capacity and Health-related Quality of Life of persons living with HIV/AIDS in clinical stage I and apparently healthy controls.

This quasi-experimental study involved 37 persons living with HIV/AIDS and 37 age and sex match controls. Health-related Quality of Life was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire. Exercise capacity was assessed using the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and expressed in terms of Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD), Six Minute Walk Work (6MWW), Maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and Metabolic Equivalents (METS).  Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after the 6MWT following standardized procedure. Rate pressure product (RPP) was also calculated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and inferential statistics of paired and unpaired t-test, and Pearson’s product moment correlation. Alpha level was set at 0.05.

The result showed that persons living with HIV/AIDS had significantly lowered pre-walk DBP and post-walk DBP than healthy control (p<0.05). The 6MWD, 6MWW, VO₂max and METS were significantly lower for persons living with HIV/AIDS (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the physical health composite (PCS) of Health-related Quality of Life of the persons living with HIV/AIDS and the controls (p=0.782). However, the mental health composite (MCS) of the persons living with HIV/AIDS was higher than that of the controls (p=0.040). There was no significant correlation between the PCS and MCS of the Health-related Quality of Life and the 6MWD, 6MWW, VO₂ max and METS for the persons living with HIV/AIDS and the control group (p>0.05).

In conclusion, exercise capacity is reduced in persons living with HIV/AIDS in clinical stage I as compared to their healthy controls. Physical health composite of Health-related Quality of Life of persons living with HIV/AIDS and healthy controls is comparable. However, persons living with HIV/AIDS had higher mental health composite of Health-related Quality of Life than the controls. Furthermore, exercise capacity and Health-related Quality of Life of persons living with HIV/AIDS are not inter-dependent.  Future studies should be carried out in persons living with HIV/AIDS in other clinical stages of HIV/AIDS.