Socio-Demographic Correlates of Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Among Paediatric HIV Patients Under Care at A Tertiary Health Institution in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Antiretroviral treatment adherence is the strongest predictor of successful treatment outcome among HIV-infected patients on treatment. Objective: To determine the correlation between the socio-demographic factors of our HIV-infected patients and their antiretroviral treatment adherence, at a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of 210 HIV-infected children accessing care at a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria using self-report method of adherence assessment. Adherence to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is defined as when a patient did not miss more than 1 dose of the prescribed cART medication in the preceding 2 weeks prior to the study. Result: Majority, 191 (91%), of the subjects adhered. There was a significant relationship between cART adherence and educational level (0.004), duration of treatment (0.001), but not to the socio-economic status (0.001). Conclusion: The cART adherence level in this study was 100% in 91% of the subjects studied. There was no statistically significant relationship between cART adherence and the socio-economic status of the subjects.