Treatment Outcomes Among People Living With HIV Who Are Food Insecure and Prescribed Antiretrovirals Taken With Food

Background: Food insecurity is a known barrier to medication adherence among people living with HIV. Antiretroviral therapies (ART) that require food likely pose added challenges to patients who do not have reliable access to food. This study examines the health implications of prescribing ART that requires food to patients who are food insecure. Method: A community sample of 538 men and 221 women currently taking ART to treat their HIV infection completed computerized interviews, biweekly unannounced pill count adherence assessments, and obtained their HIV RNA (viral load) and CD4 cell count from medical records. Results: Sixty-three percent of participants experienced at least 1 indicator of food insecurity during the previous month, of which 274 (57%) were prescribed an ART regimen that requires food. Among participants who were food insecure, individuals taking ART requiring food indicated significantly greater HIV symptoms, had lower CD4 cell counts, and poorer HIV suppression. For participants who were food secure, those taking ART that requires food were significantly less adherent than those whose ART regimen does not require food. Conclusions: People living with HIV who experience food insecurity are significantly more likely to be prescribed ART regimens that require food and experience poorer treatment outcomes. Determination of optimal ART regimens should take patient access to food into account and treatment guidelines should explicitly highlight the importance of food access in selecting ART regimens

Brief Behavioral Self-Regulation Counseling for HIV Treatment Adherence Delivered by Cell Phone: An Initial Test of Concept Trial

Affordable and effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence interventions are needed for many patients to promote positive treatment outcomes and prevent viral resistance. We conducted a two-arm randomized trial (n = 40 men and women receiving and less than 95% adherent to ART) to test a single office session followed by four biweekly cell phone counseling sessions that were grounded in behavioral self-management model of medication adherence using data from phone-based unannounced pill counts to provide feedback-guided adherence strategies. The control condition received usual care and matched office and cell phone/pill count contacts. Participants were baseline assessed and followed with biweekly unannounced pill counts and 4-month from baseline computerized interviews (39/40 retained). Results showed that the self-regulation counseling delivered by cell phone demonstrated significant improvements in adherence compared to the control condition; adherence improved from 87% of pills taken at baseline to 94% adherence 4 months after baseline, p < 0.01. The observed effect sizes ranged from moderate (d = 0.45) to large (d = 0.80). Gains in adherence were paralleled with increased self-efficacy (p < 0.05) and use of behavioral strategies for ART adherence (p < 0.05). We conclude that the outcomes from this test of concept trial warrant further research on cell phone-delivered self-regulation counseling in a larger and more rigorous trial