Adherence and Contributing Factors among HIV Infected Children in Adama Hospital Medical College, Ethiopia

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a public health problem and major development crisis that affects all sectors. In 2013, an estimated 35.2 million people were living with HIV worldwide and 3.5 million of these were children under 15 years of age. Children continue to be born with HIV worldwide; however, sub-Saharan African is the most affected. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment has extended and improved the quality of life for people living with HIV by reducing their viral load, often to undetectable levels. Strict adherence to anti retro viral treatment is essential in pediatrics in order to obtain desired benefit and to avoid the emergence of drug resistance, clinical failure.

Objective: To assess Anti-Retro Viral drug adherence and factor associated with it among HIV infected children

Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in Adama Hospital Medical College, March 08 to June 08, 2015. Systematic random sampling technique was used and data was collected by three of the group members by using pretested structured check list. Qualitative data was categorized and summarized into matrices, figures and tables based on the kind of tools used. Quantitative data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16.

Results: A total of 165 caregivers of children were included in the study. The majority 92 (55.8%) of the children were females. Though 81(49.1%) of care givers did not identify the correct regimen that has been taken by a child, most of them have good knowledge and perception regarding to ART. According to Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), 101(61.2%) of children were non-adherent. Age (1.0, 099) and sex (0.98, 0.62) of care givers, care-giver relation to the child (0.907), job of care-giver (0.99), educational status of care-giver (0.95) and marital status of care –giver (0.99) are not significant predictors of adherence.

Conclusion: Greater than half of the children were non-adherent. Age and sex of care givers, care-giver relation to the child, job of care-giver, educational status of care-giver, and marital status of care giver are not significant predictors of adherence.