Factors influencing adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV positive adolescents at adult infectious diseases center in Lusaka, Zambia.

Adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy leads to restoration of the immune function and reduces HIV-related adverse outcomes. However non adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy has eroded this advantage leading to increased morbidity and compromised quality of life among HIV positive adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess factors influencing adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy among HIV positive adolescents at Adult Infectious Disease Center in Lusaka, Zambia.
A descriptive quantitative cross sectional study was conducted on 173 HIV positive adolescents on antiretroviral therapy who were selected using a systematic random sampling method to ascertain factors influencing adherence. Data was collected using the structured interview schedule and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 20. Chi square and fishers’ exact statistical tests to determine the association among dependable and independent variables and binary logistic regression was used to determine true predictors and to adjust confounders of adherence. The cut off point for statistical significance was set at 5%.
This study established that 76(43.9%) of the respondents were found to be non adherent to their antiretroviral therapy. The study identified that stigmatization was high 99(57.2%) but did not significantly influence adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy on the study participants. Knowledge of HIV and disease progression was reported to be low but this did not have any statistical impact on antiretroviral therapy adherence. Factors which were found statistically significant for adherence to therapy when a binary logistic regression was performed were experiencing side effects to therapy (p-value 0.047, odds ratio= 0.412); Understanding reason for taking combination antiretroviral therapy (p-value 0.006, odds ratio= 5.978) and Being reminded to take drugs (p-value 0.006, odds ratio= 0.505).
The study found that there was high level of non adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy which could in turn lead to emerging of more cases of treatment failure. More studies on factors influencing non adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy need to be conducted to develop evidence based impact based practice model for HIV positive adolescents care.