Measuring Adherence Level to Antiretroviral Treatment Among Adult PLWHA in Zewditu Memorial Hospital Addis Abeba
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Date
2014-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study attempted to measure anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence level in
Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa. Retrospective and cross-sectional
sources were used. Patient self-report adherence measuring tool was used.
Based on this structured Patient self-report adherence questionnaire and in a
simple random sampling technique data were collected from 138 clinical records
of ART patients, exit- interviews were conducted on 50 ART patients and few
ART providers. Descriptive, one sample t-test, correlation, uni-variate and
multivariate logistic regression analysis were used. The findings revealed mixed
adherence level (clinical data perspective 95-100% adherence rate found among
95% of the sample whereas in exit interview data analysis perspective 100%
perfect adherence level was found among 30 respondents, suboptimal adherence
rate which ranges from 29% to 86% found among 19 individuals whereas, one
individual had 0% adherence/he didn’t took his ART for that week/. Waiting
months on ART and regimen change were predictive factors for non-adherence
behavior. Drug side effect/toxicity is a major reason for missed drug doses and
regimen changing behavior. Forgetting, being busy, social stigma or
discrimination, and alcohol use were the identified barriers for non- adherence
behavior. Finally the study hints the necessity to design and practically
implement substantive theories of behaviors based adherence interventions
programmes that can promote adherence behaviors and alleviate the burdens of
stigma or discrimination and drug side effects among ART patients.
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Keywords
Zewditu Memorial Hospital