Abstract
IntroductionThis study aims to assess the treatment adherence rate among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving treatment in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that assessed self-reported treatment adherence among adults aged 18 years and above who were accessing drugs for the treatment of HIV. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 550 participants and data were collected by structured interviewer administered questionnaire.ResultsThe mean age of respondents was 39.9±10 years. Adherence rate for HIV patients was 92.6%. Factors affecting adherence include lack of money for transportation to the hospital (75%), traveling (68.8%), forgetting (66.7%), avoiding side effects (66.7%), and avoiding being seen (63.6%).ConclusionThe adherence rate was less than optimal despite advancements in treatment programmes. Adherence monitoring plans such as home visit and care should be sustained.
Highlights
This study aims to assess the treatment adherence rate among People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving treatment in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital
Consenting People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who have been on antiretroviral therapy for at least 3 months and not on admission were included in the study while PLWHA with co-morbidities such as tuberculosis, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, mental disorders, hepatitis or any other medical conditions whose medications may interact with the antiretroviral drugs were excluded
The minimum sample size of 550 was determined using the Fishers' formula where: z2 is the abscissa of the normal curve that cuts off an area α at the tails; p is the estimated proportion of an attribute that is present in the population; q is 1-p (56.6%); and d is the acceptable margin of error for proportion being estimated (0.5)
Summary
This study aims to assess the treatment adherence rate among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving treatment in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed self-reported treatment adherence among adults aged 18 years and above who were accessing drugs for the treatment of HIV. In Nigeria, ART treatment adherence rates of 54% and 62.6% have been documented at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano [16] and Federal Medical Center, Makurdi respectively [17]. This reported suboptimal treatment adherence to ART will pose serious problems to the control of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Partial or poor adherence at levels markedly less than 95 percent can lead to the resumption of rapid replication, mutation to treatment resistant strains of HIV and reduced survival rate of the patients [19]
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