Factors related to adherence to pharmacological treatment for HIV/AIDS

Objective: To establish prevalence of adherence to pharmacological treatment and its related factors in HIV/AIDS diagnosed patients from a health care center in Cali (Colombia). Method: The study design was observational cross-sectional. The sample was composed of 127 HIV/AIDS diagnosed patients under antiretroviral treatment controlled at a health care center, randomly sampled. The Adherence to Treatment for HIV/AIDS Questionnaire was used in order to assess the output variable (adherence to pharmacological treatment). To measure the exposition variables (personal, illness and treatment, social and health care system factors) a self-report questionnaire and a medical history format were designed. Results: The prevalence of pharmacological treatment adherence was 84%. The analysis of the adherence related factors show that patients with less opportunity to adhere to pharmacological treatment were those younger than 40 years old, of low socio-economic status, who perceive any barrier for treatment, taking more than 4 antiretroviral tablets daily, and those women with HIV infected partner or child. Conclusions: The results of the study show an outline to redirect interventions aimed to improved adherence to pharmacological treatment in order to control the infection, promote patients' quality of life, diminish the social impact and the economic cost of its manage and its complications.