Abstract

World Health Organization and health workers around the globe are concerned with treatment adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH). Previous studies on treatment adherence have focused more on socio-demographic factors with little attention to the roles of psychosocial factors and influence of attitudes in treatment adherence among PLWH especially in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. Therefore, the study was designed to investigate depression, self-disclosure, satisfaction with health services, utilization of health facilities, sexual risk behaviours, age, sex, ethnicity, educational background and moderating effect of attitude towards drugs on treatment adherence among PLWH in the Keffi hospital, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Four hypotheses were tested using Linear Regression and Pearson correlation at p< 0.05. Depression, HIV self-disclosure, patient satisfaction, utilization of health facilities and sexual risk behaviour jointly predicted treatment compliance (R=.22; R2=.05; F5,395 = 4.03), accounting for 5% of its variance. Depression (β=.19; t=3.55) and patient satisfaction (β =.20; t=3.60) independently predicted treatment compliance. There was a significant joint influence of demographic variables of ethnicity, sex, religion, marital status, educational background and occupation on treatment compliance (R=.19; R2= .04; F6,394 =2.45). It was observed that demographic variables accounted for a 4% increase in treatment compliance. The addition of depression, HIV self-disclosure, patient’s satisfaction, utilization of health service and sexual risk behaviour brought about an 8% increase in treatment compliance [R=.28; R2= .08; F11, 389=2.95].Attitude toward drugs interacted with psychological variables of HIV self-disclosure, satisfaction with health services and sexual risk-related behaviour and significantly influenced treatment compliance (R=.33; R2=.11; F 17, 383= 2.75). Psychological variables accounted for 11% increase in treatment compliance [R=.33; R2=.11). HIV self-disclosure (β=-.12, t=-2.24), patient’s satisfaction (β =.15; t=2.65) and sexual risk behaviour (β=.15; t= 2.70) were independent and significant predictors of treatment compliance. Attitude towards drugs moderated the relationship between psycho-demographic factors and treatment compliance (R=.24; R2=.07; F 5,395= 6.10). Self-disclosure of HIV, utilization of health facilities and sexual risk behaviour are pertinent predictors of treatment compliance, with attitude toward drugs being a significant moderating variable. Psychodemographic variables should be considered in the treatment plan for people living with HIV.