Does Type of Social Support Influence Medication Adherence Among South African Adolescents Living With HIV? A Quantitative Analysis of Pilot Data

2022 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo F. Malo ◽  
Tiarney D. Ritchwood ◽  
Michael V. Relf ◽  
Linda-Gail Bekker
Medicine ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 97 (28) ◽  
pp. e11488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing-Ming Li ◽  
Xiao-Qing Yuan ◽  
Alon Rasooly ◽  
Scottie Bussell ◽  
Jun-Jie Wang ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 245 ◽  
pp. 82-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Casale ◽  
Mark Boyes ◽  
Marija Pantelic ◽  
Elona Toska ◽  
Lucie Cluver

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Deborah A. Mercier

Numerous research studies in the HIV literature have documented social support as a key factor influencing adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is one of only a few studies to examine perceived social support among adults living with HIV who have had repeated challenges with medication adherence. A secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from two intervention studies was conducted using a mixed methods design. Two overarching themes were associated with the lack of social support: extreme isolation and constant turmoil. Subthemes, included loneliness, structural vulnerability, and emotional distress. Overall social support was low in this vulnerable group, especially when compared to the general population and to adults living with other chronic health conditions. Strong correlations existed between all social support subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). The strongest positive correlation was found between affectionate support and positive social interaction (r = .870, p = less than .0001). These data suggest that participants who frequently self-reported a lack of persons to spend time with socially often lacked positive, supportive relationships in their lives. No significant variation was found between self-reported overall social support or subscale scores based on age or health variables. Convergent qualitative data excerpts corresponded with low quantitative social support scores in every dimension, confirming that adults living with HIV who repeatedly struggle with taking life-long HIV medications lack social support in many areas of their lives.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Vargas ◽  
Milagros Wong ◽  
Carly A. Rodriguez ◽  
Hugo Sanchez ◽  
Jerome Galea ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionAdolescents living with HIV (ALWH) face an elevated risk of poor health outcomes when transitioning into adult-oriented care; however, evidence-based interventions to support ALWH during this high-risk period are lacking, especially in Latin America. We conducted a pilot study of a community-based intervention designed to improve outcomes among ALWH transitioning to adult HIV care in Lima, Peru.MethodsFrom October 2019 to January 2020, we enrolled adolescents transitioning to adult HIV care, either due to a recent diagnosis or having aged out of their pediatric clinic. ALWH previously lost from care during the transition process were also invited to participate. The nine-month intervention consisted of (1) logistical, adherence and social support delivered by entry-level health workers who accompanied adolescents during their transition to adult HIV care and (2) group sessions to improve health-related knowledge, skills and social support. We assessed intervention feasibility and effectiveness in improving medication adherence, psycho-social outcomes, and transition readiness after 6, 9, and 12 months.ResultsWe enrolled 30 ALWH, ages 15-21 years; 11 were recently diagnosed and 19 had been living with HIV since infancy or early childhood. Participants included ten men who have sex with men, four young pregnant women and six adolescents who were previously lost during the transition to adult HIV care. Intervention participation was high with 90% of ALWH attending at least one in-person social support session and all attending at least one live online session. No ALWH withdrew from the intervention, study, or antiretroviral therapy. In transition readiness, we observed within-person improvements related to personal health (+1.9 points, p<0.001), healthcare usage (+2.4 points, p<0.001), knowledge (+3.3 points, p=0.001), and behavior (+3 points, p=0.003) at the end of the intervention, relative to baseline. We also observed strong evidence of improvements in medication adherence, social support, self-efficacy, and perceived stress, which were generally sustained three months after intervention cessation.ConclusionWe identified a community-based intervention that is feasible and potentially effective for bridging the transition to adult HIV care among a diverse group of ALWH in Peru. A larger-scale effectiveness evaluation, including biological endpoints, is warranted.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e037468
Author(s):  
Alyssa Paige Tabrisky ◽  
Lara S Coffin ◽  
David P Olem ◽  
Torsten B Neilands ◽  
Mallory O'Neill Johnson

Introduction Advances in HIV treatment have proven to be effective in increasing virological suppression, thereby decreasing morbidity, and increasing survival. Medication adherence is an important factor in reducing viral load among people living with HIV (PLWH) and in the elimination of transmission of HIV to uninfected partners. Achieving optimal medication adherence involves individuals taking their medications every day or as prescribed by their provider. However, not all PLWH in the USA are engaged in care, and only a minority have achieved suppressed viral load (viral load that is lower than the detectable limit of the assay). Sexual and gender minorities (SGM; those who do not identify as heterosexual or those who do not identify as the sex they were assigned at birth) represent a high-risk population for poor clinical outcomes and increased risk of HIV transmission, as they face barriers that can prevent optimal engagement in HIV care. Research in dyadic support, specifically within primary romantic partnerships, offers a promising avenue to improving engagement in care and treatment outcomes among SGM couples. Dyadic interventions, especially focused on primary romantic partnerships, have the potential to have a sustained impact after the structured intervention ends. Methods and analysis This paper describes the protocol for a randomised control trial of a theory-grounded, piloted intervention (DuoPACT) that cultivates and leverages the inherent sources of support within primary romantic relationships to improve engagement in HIV care and thus clinical outcomes among persons who are living with HIV and who identify as SGM (or their partners). Eligible participants must report being in a primary romantic relationship for at least 3 months, speak English, at least one partner must identify as a sexual or gender minority and at least one partner must be HIV+ with suboptimal engagement in HIV care, defined as less than excellent medication adherence, having not seen a provider in at least the past 8 months, having a detectable or unknown viral load or not currently on antiretroviral therapy. Eligible consenting couples are allocated equally to the two study arms: a structured six-session couples counselling intervention (DuoPACT) or a three-session individually-delivered HIV adherence counselling intervention (LifeSteps). The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of DuoPACT on virological suppression among HIV+ members of SGM couples with suboptimal engagement in care. The DuoPACT study began its target enrolment of 150 couples (300 individuals) in August 2017, and will continue to enrol until June 2021. Ethics and dissemination All procedures are approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of California, San Francisco. Written informed consent is obtained from all participants at enrolment, and study progress is reviewed twice yearly by an external Safety Monitoring Committee. Dissemination activities will include formal publications and report back sessions with the community. Trial registration number NCT02925949; Pre-results.


Author(s):  
Kimberly K. Scarsi ◽  
Susan Swindells

As with other chronic conditions, adherence to daily medications remains a challenge for many individuals living with HIV due to structural, behavioral, and social barriers. Unfortunately, high levels of adherence to antiretroviral therapy are required to maintain virologic suppression. Alternative approaches are being explored to decrease the burden of daily pill administration, including long-acting injectable, oral, and implantable products. Phase 3 data support the efficacy of nanoformulated injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine for HIV treatment in patients with undetectable viremia, but we have yet to learn how this strategy may benefit those with medication adherence challenges. Despite this, the affected community and HIV providers are very interested in exploring the role of long-acting therapies to address some types of barriers to medication adherence. This review summarizes available information about the potential for long-acting therapy to improve adherence for some patients and outlines associated opportunities and challenges with the implementation of long-acting therapy for the treatment and prevention of HIV.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Amankwah-Poku ◽  
Delight Abla Klutsey ◽  
Kwaku Oppong Asante

Abstract Background The prevalence of disclosure of status to children living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is low in most sub-Saharan African countries, leading to poor compliance and adverse psychological outcomes in these children. This study examined the influence of disclosure on health outcomes in children living with HIV and their caregivers. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 155 HIV-positive children between age 6–15 years and their caregivers were administered standardized questionnaires measuring adherence to medication, children's psychological well-being, caregiver burden, and caregivers’ psychological health. Results Results indicated that only 33.5% of the children sampled knew their status. Disclosure of HIV status was significantly related to medication adherence, psychological wellbeing, the burden of caregiving, and the length of the disclosure. A child’s age and level of education were the only demographic variables that significantly predicted disclosure of HIV status. In a hierarchical analysis, after controlling for all demographic variables medication adherence, psychological well-being and burden of caregiving were found to be significant predictors of disclosure of status in children living with HIV. Conclusions Findings suggest the need for disclosure of status among children living with HIV for a positive impact on their medication adherence and psychological health. These findings underscore the need for the development of context-specific interventions that will guide and encourage disclosure of status by caregivers to children living with HIV.


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