Knowledge of Antiretroviral Treatment and Associated Factors in HIV-Infected Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the knowledge of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and the associated factors in HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of 350 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients being treated with ARV at outpatient clinics at Soc Trang, Vietnam, from June 2019 to December 2019. Using an interview questionnaire, patients who answered at least eight out of nine questions correctly, including some required questions, were considered to have a general knowledge of ARV treatment. Using multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with knowledge of ARV treatment, we found that 62% of HIV-infected patients had a general knowledge of ARV treatment, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD 1.4) out of 9 correct. A higher education level (p < 0.001); working away from home (p = 0.013); getting HIV transmitted by injecting drugs or from mother-to-child contact (p = 0.023); the presence of tension, anxiety, or stress (p = 0.005); self-reminding to take medication (p = 0.024); and a high self-evaluated adherence (p < 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with an adequate knowledge of ARV treatment. In conclusion, education programs for patients, as well as the quality of medical services and support, should be strengthened.

A Scoping Review of Knowledge, Awareness, Perceptions, Attitudes, and Risky Behaviors of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Southeast Asia

“…Higher education and socioeconomic status can be linked to living area as well, with the majority of studies reporting a higher level of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and perception among urbanites [ 2 , 27 ] as opposed to those living in rural areas [ 39 ]. Individuals living in urban areas are known to have better access to information through the Internet, healthcare centers, NGOs etc., a notion supported by other studies reporting individuals with better accessibility to medical device and information as having higher levels of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and perception [ 25 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 49 ] than those without [ 39 , 42 ].…”

“…Finally, results based on participants’ occupation status revealed healthcare professionals, including medical students, to have a higher level of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and perception—a pattern that is absolutely expected considering their background [ 11 , 14 , 17 , 32 ]. Contrarily, the knowledge level was found to be extremely low among professions such as industrial workers (migrants) [ 42 ] and sex workers [ 29 , 50 ]. For example, [ 42 ] found a low average score for STI knowledge among 289 industrial workers in Vietnam.…”

“…Contrarily, the knowledge level was found to be extremely low among professions such as industrial workers (migrants) [ 42 ] and sex workers [ 29 , 50 ]. For example, [ 42 ] found a low average score for STI knowledge among 289 industrial workers in Vietnam. Similarly, [ 29 ] found a very low level of STI knowledge among male sex workers, especially among those who started serving clients at a young age, and therefore have not been exposed to safe sex practices.…”

“…Similarly, [ 29 ] found a very low level of STI knowledge among male sex workers, especially among those who started serving clients at a young age, and therefore have not been exposed to safe sex practices. Overall, research suggests that lower levels of knowledge, awareness, attitude, and perception regarding STIs tend to be among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, particularly in less developed countries/regions such as Vietnam [ 42 ] and Indonesia [ 29 , 50 ]. This is probably due to gaps in policies and healthcare access targeting these vulnerable cohorts, and thus the findings suggest the need for a higher investment in educational interventions to promote STI knowledge in this population.…”

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy, CD4 count, viral load and opportunistic infections in people with HIV/AIDS: a cross-sectional study

“…Adequate adherence contributes to the success of ART treatment and minimizes the prevalence of antiviral resistance during treatment. However, lack of knowledge makes respondents and caregivers not aware of this fact (Van Nguyen et al, 2021). The majority of respondents were Javanese and Muslims, both of which were related to the culture and religion adhered to by Indonesian society as a country with diversity; moreover, the cultural and religious values of Indonesian society encourage each partner to always be loyal to each other even in sick conditions (Gamarel and Golub, 2015;Eidhamar, 2018).…”