PATTERNS OF GEOGRAPHIC-MOBILITY OF PERSONS WITH AIDS IN CANADA FROM TIME OF AIDS INDEX DIAGNOSIS TO DEATH

Objective: To characterize migration patterns of persons with AIDS in Canada during the period from AIDS diagnosis to death. Design: Descrip tive, population-based study. Setting: Canada. Patients: Canada's AIDS Case Reporting Surveillance System (ACRSS) was linked to deaths in th e Canadian Mortality Data Base (CMDB). Probabilistic linkage was based on initials, date of birth, date of death, birthplace, and location a t diagnosis and at death. Analysis was:restricted to AIDS cases report ed from Jan. 1, 1982, to Sept. 30, 1994, and to deaths reported from J an. 1, 1982, to Dec. 31, 1992. Main outcome measures: Change in usual place of residence; migration rates by region and community size. Resu lts: A total of 5755 AIDS cases recorded in the ACRSS were linked to d eaths in the CMDB. Of: these linked cases, 5366 (93%) included informa tion on province or territory of usual residence or community size. A total of 160 (3.0%) persons with AIDS changed their province or territ ory of residence between the time of their AIDS diagnosis and death. M ultivariate analysis indicated that those who changed residences betwe en AIDS index diagnosis and death were more likely than other persons with AIDS to live in provinces other than British Columbia, Ontario an d Quebec (p < 0.001), to be diagnosed earlier (p = 0.004), to be young er (p < 0.001) and to be gay or bisexual (p = 0.042). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed that only a small proportion of persons changed the ir residence between AIDS diagnosis and death. Geographic mobility was the greatest among persons with AIDS residing outside of the regions where the overwhelming majority of persons with AIDS in this country r eside.