Socioeconomic factors explain suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected Australian adults with viral suppression

摘要

© 2017 Siefried et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background Missing more than one tablet of contemporary antiretroviral therapy (ART) per month increases the risk of virological failure. Recent studies evaluating a comprehensive range of potential risk factors for suboptimal adherence are not available for high-income settings. Methods Adults on ART with undetectable viral load (UDVL) were recruited into a national, multicentre cohort, completing a comprehensive survey assessing demographics, socioeconomic indicators, physical health, well-being, life stressors, social supports, HIV disclosure, HIV-related stigma and discrimination, healthcare access, ART regimen, adherence, side effects, costs and treatment beliefs. Baseline data were assessed, and suboptimal adherence was defined as self-reported missing 1 ART dose/month over the previous 3- months; associated factors were identified using bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. Results We assessed 522 participants (494 [94.5%] men, mean age = 50.8 years, median duration UDVL = 3.3 years [IQR = 1.2±6.8] ) at 17 sexual health, hospital, and general practice clinics across Australia. Seventy-eight participants (14.9%) reported missing 1 dose/month over the previous three months, which was independently associated with: being Australian-born (AOR [adjusted odds ratio] = 2.4 [95%CI = 1.2±4.9] , p = 0.014), not being in a relationship (AOR = 3.3 [95%CI = 1.5±7.3], p = 0.004), reaching the 'Medicare safety net' (capping annual medical/pharmaceutical costs) (AOR = 2.2 [95%CI = 1.1±4.5] , p = 0.024), living in subsidised housing (AOR = 2.5 [95%CI = 1.0±6.2], p = 0.045), receiving home-care services (AOR = 4.4 [95%CI = 1.0±18.8] , p = 0.046), HIV community/outreach services linkage (AOR = 2.4 [95%CI = 1.1±5.4], p = 0.033), and starting ART following self-request (AOR = 3.0 [95%CI = 1.3±7.0] , p = 0.012). Conclusions In this population, 15% reported recent suboptimal ART adherence at levels associated in prospective studies with subsequent virological failure, despite all having an undetectable viral load. Associations were with social/economic/cultural/patient engagement factors, but not ART regimen/clinical factors. These associations may help identify those at higher risk of future virological failure and guide patient education and support.