Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy and its correlates among HIV infected pediatric patients in Ethiopia
2008

Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Children in Ethiopia

Sample size: 390 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Biadgilign Sibhatu, Deribew Amare, Amberbir Alemayehu, Deribe Kebede

Primary Institution: Jimma University

Hypothesis

What factors are associated with adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected children in Ethiopia?

Conclusion

Adherence to HAART in children in Addis Ababa was higher than in other similar setups, but there are still significant numbers of children who are non-adherent.

Supporting Evidence

  • 86.9% of children were reported to be adherent to antiretroviral drugs for the past 7 days.
  • Children whose parents did not pay a fee for treatment were less likely to adhere.
  • Children who took co-trimoxazole were more likely to adhere.

Takeaway

This study looked at how well children in Ethiopia stick to their HIV medicine. It found that many kids are doing a good job, but some still miss their doses.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire in five hospitals in Addis Ababa.

Potential Biases

Social desirability bias may affect caregiver responses regarding adherence.

Limitations

Recall bias and the cross-sectional nature of the study may hinder the ability to identify predictors of adherence.

Participant Demographics

The majority of children were over 9 years old, with 55% being girls; most caregivers were Amhara and Orthodox.

Statistical Information

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 0.16, 0.92

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2431-8-53

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