Prevalence and Determinants of Medication Adherence among Patients with HIV/AIDS in Southern Vietnam

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and determinants of medication adherence among patients with HIV/AIDS in southern Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital in southern Vietnam from June to December 2019 on patients who began antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 6 months. Using a designed questionnaire, patients were considered adherent if they took correct medicines with right doses, on time and properly with food and beverage and had follow-up visits as scheduled. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify determinants of adherence. Key findings: A total of 350 patients (from 861 medical records) were eligible for the study. The majority of patients were male (62.9%), and the dominant age group (≥35 years old) accounted for 53.7% of patients. Sexual intercourse was the primary route of transmission of HIV (95.1%). The proportions of participants who took the correct medicine and at a proper dose were 98.3% and 86.3%, respectively. In total, 94.9% of participants took medicine appropriately in combination with food and beverage, and 75.7% of participants were strictly adherent to ART. The factors marital status (odds ratio (OR) = 2.54; 95%CI = 1.51–4.28), being away from home (OR = 1.7; 95%CI = 1.03–2.78), substance abuse (OR = 2.7; 95%CI = 1.44–5.05), general knowledge about ART (OR = 2.75; 95%CI = 1.67–4.53), stopping medication after improvement (OR = 4.16; 95%CI = 2.29–7.56) and self-assessment of therapy adherence (OR = 9.83; 95%CI = 5.44–17.77) were significantly associated with patients’ adherence. Conclusions: Three-quarters of patients were adherent to ART. Researchers should consider these determinants of adherence in developing interventions in further studies.

Medication Adherence of Vietnamese Outpatients with Chronic Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The percentage of medication adherence for employed patients was higher than the figures for other groups (p = 0.001). The result differed from previous studies that did not find an association between work and medication adherence [19,20]. This difference can be explained by differences between the research subjects and job classification differences.…”

Acceptability and feasibility of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected persons who inject drugs in Vietnam: A qualitative study

“…Our findings may not generalize to other areas in Vietnam where perceptions of LAI could differ, nor to other sub-populations of PWH in Vietnam who may also struggle with ART adherence and could benefit from LAI. 31 , 32 Although our survey captured basic information regarding injection drug use, we did not specifically inquire regarding methamphetamine use, which has been shown to be associated with higher rates of viral failure among PWID. 33 Further, we were only able to recruit one PWID lost to ART care; further research is warranted to elicit the perspectives of this group and particularly whether LAI might encourage reengagement among those who previously used daily oral ART.…”

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

“…Moreover, HIV patients' lack of knowledge may be influenced by inadequate information provided by health professionals regarding medication [5]. This lack of knowledge can be a barrier to ART adherence [5,6], as it is closely related to patients' health outcomes [7] and to the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy [8], including virological failure [8][9][10], antiretroviral resistance [8][9][10][11], and increased mortality [8,11]. Therefore, knowledge regarding ARV treatment must be provided effectively through counseling programs, as ART is one of the most common therapies available today.…”