Research
Magnitude and determinants of nonadherence and nonreadiness to highly active antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross - sectional study
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* Corresponding author: Belay Tessema bt1488@yahoo.com
1 Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
2 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Bahir Dar, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
3 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
4 Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
5 Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
6 Institute of Medical Microbiology and Epidemiology of Infectious diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
7 Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
AIDS Research and Therapy 2010, 7:2 doi:10.1186/1742-6405-7-2
Published: 14 January 2010Abstract
Background
Adequate antiretroviral drug potency is essential for obtaining therapeutic benefit, however, the behavioral aspects of proper adherence and readiness to medication, often determine therapeutic outcome. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level and determinants of nonadherence and nonreadiness to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) at Gondar University Teaching Hospital and Felege Hiwot Hospital in Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2008 using structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. All consecutive adult outpatients who were receiving antiretroviral treatment for at least three months, seen at both hospitals during the study period and able to give informed consent were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with nonadherence and nonreadiness.
Results
A total of 504 study subjects were included in this study. The prevalence rates of nonadherence and nonreadiness to HAART were 87 (17.3%) and 70 (13.9%) respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that medication adverse effects, nonreadiness to HAART, contact with psychiatric care service and having no goal had statistically significant association with nonadherence. Moreover, unwillingness to disclose HIV status was significantly associated with nonreadiness to HAART.
Conclusions
In this study the level of nonadherence and nonreadiness to HAART seems to be encouraging. Several factors associated with nonadherance and nonreadiness to HAART were identified. Efforts to minimize nonadherence and nonreadiness to HAART should be integrated in to regular clinical follow up of patients.