article · PLoS ONE
Antiretroviral therapy substantially reduces mortality among adolescents living with HIV, but adherence rates remain low, especially within sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional investigation assessed adherence levels and contributing factors among 385 adolescents and young adults receiving care at a treatment clinic in Tanga, Tanzania. Findings revealed that 35.3 percent of the participants did not adhere to their prescribed medication regimens. Key determinants significantly influenced adherence behaviours: patients experiencing moderate household food insecurity were 67 percent less likely to adhere, and those suffering from drug side effects were 39 percent less likely to maintain their treatment. Conversely, having a secondary education more than doubled the likelihood of adherence compared to having no formal education, and consistently obtaining medication directly from the clinic increased adherence by more than four times. Interventions must account for these socioeconomic, educational, and clinical factors to improve outcomes.
Proper adherence to antiretroviral therapy is essential to suppress HIV and lower mortality rates. Understanding context-specific obstacles, such as food security, education, reliable clinic access, and side effect management, helps healthcare providers and public health planners design targeted support strategies for vulnerable young populations in regional settings.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it focuses on epidemiological survey data rather than a commercial product or service.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
BACKGROUND: Adherence to HIV treatment regimens involves the consistent and correct intake of all prescribed medications. The implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) program has significantly reduced mortality among adolescents living with HIV. However, adherence to ART is lower among adolescents compared to other sub-populations and even lower in sub-Saharan Africa. The factors influencing ART adherence are context-specific and vary across countries and regions. In the Tanzanian context, there is a paucity of data regarding these factors. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study involved 385 adolescents and young adults living with HIV receiving treatment at Bombo Hospital Referral Hospital's Care and Treatment Clinic, in Tanga, Tanzania. To assess adherence, a one-month self-recall medication adherence scale was used while a structured questionnaire was used to gather data on determinants of adherence. Data were collected using Google Forms and subsequently exported as a Microsoft Excel file. The data were then entered into Stata software version 15 for cleaning for descriptive and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: More than a third (35.3%) of adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Tanga were not adherent to the effective and available ART. Adolescents and young adults living in households experiencing moderate food insecurity were 67% less likely to adhere to ART (95%CI 0.16-0.66) compared to those who were food secure. Those with secondary education were 2.3 times more likely to adhere to ART (95%CI 1.02-5.23), compared to those without formal education. While participants who consistently obtain their ART at the clinic were more 4.2 times more likely to adhere to medication (95%CI 1.29-13.72), those experiencing ART side effects were 39% less likely to adhere to ART (95%CI 0.38-0.98). CONCLUSION: More than one-third of adolescents and young adults were not adherent to ART in Tanga, Tanzania. Addressing such unprecedented challenges calls for efforts targeting adolescents and young adults with limited education, from households with food insecurity, and ensuring counseling and management of ART side effects.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316188
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
