Assessment of adherence to antiretroviral therapy and its related factors among people living with HIV in the region of Beni-Mellal-Khenifra, Morocco

Abstract

Background: The management of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a chronic infection involves an optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is determined by several factors as currently mentioned in the literature. This study aimed to describe the adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and its related factors in the region of Beni-Mellal-Khenifra. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 PLHIV and attending the regional hospital of Beni-Mellal, Morocco between February and July 2022. Participants were collected using a non-probabilistic sampling. The adherence to ART was assessed using the simplified medication adherence questionnaire (SMAQ). The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire and consultation of medical records. Binominal logistic regression was used to determine potential factors influencing the adherence to ART. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: the adherence rate to ART among PLHIV was of 73.1 %. The data analysis revealed the associated factors to antiretroviral therapy to be: therapeutic patient education (OR = 0.217; 95%CI [0.049–0.955]), treatment regimen (OR = 0.155; 95%CI [0.026–0.923]), and viral load (OR = 0.43; 95%CI = [0.007–0.284]). Conclusion: the health strategies should focus on therapeutic patient education programs, and encourage drug industry to minimize the complexity of ART regimens.

Keywords

• Therapeutic-adherence
• ART
• HIV/AIDS