Illness perceptions, social support and antiretroviral medication adherence in people living with HIV in the greater Accra region, Ghana.
Nella O Anakwa, Enoch Teye-Kwadjo, Irene A Kretchy
PMID 33626226WHAT IT FOUND
In Ghana, adults on HIV treatment reported lower adherence alongside beliefs that HIV was chronic, uncontrollable or treatment ineffective.
Emotional response was linked to higher adherence and support from a special person to lower adherence. Family and friend support were not linked.
Key findings
01Timeline, personal control and treatment control were negatively associated with medication adherence, and emotional response was positively associated.
02Only support from significant others was negatively associated with medication adherence; family and friend support were not associated.
03The full model explained 38.2% of the variation in the adherence score.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All main measures were self-report, so response bias could affect the results. The illness perception questionnaire used one item for each facet, which may not fully capture each belief. Data were collected at one time, so the study cannot show that illness perceptions or support caused adherence differences. Participants were recruited purposively from two hospitals selected for known supportive care services, so they may not represent all people living with HIV in Ghana. The adherence questionnaire was modified from its original format and one item was dropped, which may affect how well it measures adherence.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that changing illness beliefs or social support will improve adherence. The study measured associations at one time with self-report, so it cannot show cause.