Psychosocial Correlates of Antiretroviral medication adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS in a tertiary hospital in Kano, Northwest Nigeria

Background: About 39.9 million of the world’s population are infected with Human immunodeficiency virus/ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Treatment of infected people has been found to reduce the risk of onward transmission to others however, only about 54% have access to antiretroviral drugs in Nigeria. Despite the recommendation that 95% adherence to ARV is necessary for adequate viral suppression to be achieved, studies have shown that antiretroviral medication adherence ranges between 50%-88% globally. Psychosocial problems have been associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral medications leading to treatment failure and development of resistant strains. Objectives: This study sought to determine the psychosocial correlates of Antiretroviral (ARV) medication adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in a tertiary hospital in Kano. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was utilized among adult patients with HIV/AIDS attending SS Wali Virology Centre of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH). Age, gender, marital, educational and occupational status were gathered using the socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire. Oslo 3-item Social Support Scale was used to assess social support. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to assess adherence to ARV medications. Results: 420 participants were recruited into the study with mean age of 40.4±10.0 years. About 73.6%, 16.0%, 10.1% had strong, moderate and poor social support respectivelySeventy-five percent had good ARV drug adherence. 62.4% of participants with psychiatric diagnosis had poor medication adherence while 72.7% of those with poor social support had poor adherence. Conclusion: About three-quarters of respondents had relatively good ARV drug adherence. Having a psychiatric disorder and poor social support were the independent predictors of poor ARV medication adherence.