biostudies-literatureStanton AMSouth African Department of Science and Innovation, South African Medical Research Council and South African Population Research Infrastructure NetworkSouth African Research Chairs Initiative, the Victor Daitz Foundation and the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE), a DELTAS Africa InitiativeNIAID NIH HHSNIMH, National Institutes of HealthAfrica Health Research InstituteNIMH NIH HHSNHLBI NIH HHSNIAID, National Institutes of HealthBill and Melinda Gates FoundationWellcome TrustNHLBI, National Institutes of HealthNew Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agencye0293963https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10880982biostudies-literatureUnknown19(2)Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assesses the perceived impact of health status across life domains. Although research has explored the relationship between specific conditions, including HIV, and HRQoL in low-resource settings, less attention has been paid to the association between multimorbidity and HRQoL. In a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the Vukuzazi ("Wake up and know ourselves" in isiZulu) study, which identified the prevalence and overlap of non-communicable and infectious diseases in the uMkhanyakunde district of KwaZulu-Natal, we (1) evaluated the impact of multimorbidity on HRQoL; (2) determined the relative associations among infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and HRQoL; and (3) examined the effects of controlled versus non-controllePloS oneHIV, multimorbidity, and health-related quality of life in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A population-based study.PMC10880982K24 HL166024K08AI118538OPP1175182201433/Z/16/ZK23MH131438DEL-15-006K23 MH131438K08 AI118538107752/Z/15/ZK24HL166024Hanekom WAOlivier SReynolds ZPillay DGareta DO'Cleirigh CNdung'u TSiedner MJWong EBModise THKhoza TGunda RHerbst KVukuzazi Study TeamStanton AMDolotina BBoyd RLKoole OfalseHIV, multimorbidity, and health-related quality of life in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A population-based study.Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assesses the perceived impact of health status across life domains. Although research has explored the relationship between specific conditions, including HIV, and HRQoL in low-resource settings, less attention has been paid to the association between multimorbidity and HRQoL. In a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the Vukuzazi ("Wake up and know ourselves" in isiZulu) study, which identified the prevalence and overlap of non-communicable and infectious diseases in the uMkhanyakunde district of KwaZulu-Natal, we (1) evaluated the impact of multimorbidity on HRQoL; (2) determined the relative associations among infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and HRQoL; and (3) examined the effects of controlled versus non-controlle2024-01-01T00:00:00Z20242026-06-18T06:54:43.879Z2025-04-06T22:47:12.757ZS-EPMC108809823838172410.1371/journal.pone.0293963