Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Jan;19(1):85-92.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-014-0775-2.

Four types of barriers to adherence of antiretroviral therapy are associated with decreased adherence over time

Becky L Genberg  1 , Yoojin Lee, William H Rogers, Ira B Wilson
Affiliations
Review

Four types of barriers to adherence of antiretroviral therapy are associated with decreased adherence over time

Becky L Genberg et al. AIDS Behav. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to understand how different types of barriers to adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) were related and their differential impact on objectively measured adherence over time. Data from 151 patients taking ART were used to describe four sub-types of self-reported adherence barriers: medication and health concerns (MHC), stigma (S), family responsibilities (FR), and problems with schedule and routine (PSR). Generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine the impact of barriers on adherence over time. The sample was 23 % female, mean age 42 years, with 26 % African-American and 20 % Hispanic. The overall average adherence was 73 %. Patients reported at least one PSR barrier in 66 % of study visits, MHC in 40 %, S in 17 %, and FR in 6 %. In 40 % of visits, patients reported two or more barrier sub-types. There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) decreases of 3.9, 2.5, and 2.4 in percent adherence, for MHC, PSR, and S, respectively, per unit increase in barrier score. Interventions to address different types of patient-identified barriers to ART adherence using targeted approaches are needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Proportion of study visits with at least one barrier item reported on each of four sub-scales
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of study visits with reported number of types of barriers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bangsberg DR, Perry S, Charlebois ED, et al. Non-adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy predicts progression to AIDS. AIDS. 2001;15(9):1181–1183. - PubMed
    1. Mills EJ, Nachega JB, Bangsberg DR, et al. Adherence to HAART: a systematic review of developed and developing nation patient-reported barriers and facilitators. PLoS Med. 2006;3(11):e438. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ammassari A, Trotta MP, Murri R, et al. Correlates and predictors of adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy: overview of published literature. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2002;31(Suppl 3):S123–7. - PubMed
    1. Chesney M. Adherence to HAART regimens. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2003;17(4):169–177. - PubMed
    1. Fogarty L, Roter D, Larson S, Burke J, Gillespie J, Levy R. Patient adherence to HIV medication regimens: a review of published and abstract reports. Patient Educ Couns. 2002;46(2):93–108. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances