Revista de SIDA e investigación clínica

Predictors of Adherence and Disclosure of HIV Status to Sexual Partners among HIV Positive Adults under HAART in Amhara Region, North-West Ethiopia; Application of Joint Models

Abstract

Awoke Seyoum Tegegne

Background: The rate of prevalence of HIV among adults has been increasing in Sub-Saharan African countries over the last decade. The objective of this study was to identify the joint predictors of cART adherence and disclosure of HIV status among HIV infected adults at Felege Hiwot teaching and specialized hospital, North-West Ethiopia.

Methodology: A retrospective cohort of longitudinal data was conducted on 792 randomly selected patients in the study area. A joint model was used to identify predictor variables. The two response variables under the current investigation were cART adherence and disclosure of HIV status. Binary logistic regression was conducted for separate models.

Results: Among the predictors, the age of patients (AOR=1.020, 95% CI: (1.016,1.191); p-value=0.005), the number of follow-ups (AOR=1.014, 95% CI: (1.023, 1.030); p-value<0.0001). CD4 cell count (AOR=0.981; 95% CI: (0.765, 0.971), p-value<0.01), marital status (AOR=1.013; 95% CI: (1.002, 1.015), p-value=0.006), female patients (AOR=1.014; 95% CI; (1.001, 1.121), p-value<0.007), rural (AOR=0.982; 95% CI; (0.665, 0.998), p-value=0.004), non-educated adult patients (AOR=0.950, 95% CI; (0.92. 0.98). p-value=0.003), non-existence of social violence (AOR=1.012, 95% CI: (1.008, 1.234), p-value<0.01), an adult with non-opportunistic diseases (AOR=1.021, 95% CI; (1.002, 1.042). p-value=0.001) significantly affected the two response variables jointly.

Conclusion: Several variables that affected both disclosures of HIV status and adherence to cART had been identified in the current investigation. Due attention should be given to younger patients, rural residents, and non-educated patients to disclose the disease status and to have a long life with the virus.