The relationship between patient-related factors and medication adherence among Nigerian patients taking highly active anti-retroviral therapy

Background: Through several initiatives, there are increasingly more people who have access to anti-retroviral therapy. Adherence to therapy is, however,necessary for successful management of disease.Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe adherence rates and determine what patient-related factors are related to adherence to anti-retroviral therapy among adult patients in an HIV clinic located in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: Adherence was measured using the two-week self-recall method. Barriers, satisfaction with therapy, and socio-demographic and clinical variables served as independent variables. Data were collected via self-administered surveys.Results: Most of the patients (79.5%) reported 100% adherence. The significant (p<0.05) barriers to adherence were forgetfulness, running out of medication, alcohol use, and medication side effects. For every unit increase in the number of barriers, patients were 60.8% less likely to be 100% adherent (p <0.05, odds ratio, OR = 0.392,95% CI = 0.295-0.523).Conclusion: Interventions should target helping patients cope with forgetfulness, specifically employing strategies to overcome busyness in schedules, being away from home, and tiredness.Keywords: Medication adherence, patients, anti-retroviral therap

The relationship between patient-related factors and medication adherence among Nigerian patients taking highly active anti-retroviral therapy.

Background: Through several initiatives, there are increasingly more people who have access to anti-retroviral therapy. Adherence to therapy is, however,necessary for successful management of disease. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe adherence rates and determine what patient-related factors are related to adherence to anti-retroviral therapy among adult patients in an HIV clinic located in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: Adherence was measured using the two-week self-recall method. Barriers, satisfaction with therapy, and socio-demographic and clinical variables served as independent variables. Data were collected via self-administered surveys. Results: . Most of the patients (79.5%) reported 100% adherence. The significant (p<0.05) barriers to adherence were forgetfulness, running out of medication, alcohol use, and medication side effects. For every unit increase in the number of barriers, patients were 60.8% less likely to be 100% adherent (p <0.05, odds ratio, OR = 0.392,95% CI = 0.295-0.523). Conclusion: Interventions should target helping patients cope with forgetfulness, specifically employing strategies to overcome busyness in schedules, being away from home, and tiredness

High Acceptability of Donating Hair and Other Biological Samples for Research Among People Living with HIV in an Outpatient Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Willingness to donate hair samples is a rate-limiting step for assaying antiretroviral (ARV) concentrations in hair, an emerging technique for HIV prevention and treatment monitoring. We surveyed ethnically diverse Nigerians to determine their willingness to donate hair for biomedical research. A cross-sectional survey of people living with HIV on ARV therapy (ART) was conducted at the HIV clinic of Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, using systematic sampling. The researcher-administered questionnaire was designed to capture sociodemographic data, length of time on ART, and willingness to donate hair. Univariate analysis was performed on sociodemographic characteristics, and independent-samples t-test and chi-square tests were used for bivariate analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with willingness to donate hair samples, with a significance level of 0.05. Of the 398 participants enrolled in the study, 258 (64.8%) were female, the average age was 40 years (±9.8), and the average time spent on ART was 7.3 years (±4.2). More than half (64.8%) of the respondents were willing to donate hair samples for biomedical research and they were 1.5 times more likely to donate hair than blood. For one-third of the participants, the anticipated benefit from the eventual research findings was the primary motivation to donate hair samples. Fear of use of hair for rituals was the most common stated reason for unwillingness to donate hair samples (21.2%). In an ethnically diverse, urban-based Nigerian study population, nearly two-thirds of the participants were willing to donate hair samples for biomedical research. These findings support the feasibility of hair sampling for future HIV clinical research conducted within Nigeria