Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To test the significance of health literacy relative to other predictors of adherence to treatment for HIV and AIDS. PARTICIPANTS: Community sample of HIV-seropositive men (n = 138) and women (n = 44) currently taking a triple-drug combination of antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection; 60% were ethnic minorities, and 73% had been diagnosed with AIDS. MEASUREMENTS: An adapted form of the Test of Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), a comprehensive health and treatment interview that included 2-day recall of treatment adherence and reasons for nonadherence, and measures of substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. MAIN RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression showed that education and health literacy were significant and independent predictors of 2-day treatment adherence after controlling for age, ethnicity, income, HIV symptoms, substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. Persons of low literacy were more likely to miss treatment doses because of confusion, depression, and desire to cleanse their body than were participants with higher health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions are needed to help persons of low literacy adhere to antiretroviral therapies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 267-273 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of General Internal Medicine |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- AIDS treatment
- HIV infection
- Medication adherence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
Cite this
Adherence to combination antiretroviral therapies in HIV patients of low health literacy. / Kalichman, Seth C.; Ramachandran, Bineetha; Catz, Sheryl L.
In: Journal of General Internal Medicine, Vol. 14, No. 5, 1999, p. 267-273.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Adherence to combination antiretroviral therapies in HIV patients of low health literacy
AU - Kalichman, Seth C.
AU - Ramachandran, Bineetha
AU - Catz, Sheryl L
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To test the significance of health literacy relative to other predictors of adherence to treatment for HIV and AIDS. PARTICIPANTS: Community sample of HIV-seropositive men (n = 138) and women (n = 44) currently taking a triple-drug combination of antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection; 60% were ethnic minorities, and 73% had been diagnosed with AIDS. MEASUREMENTS: An adapted form of the Test of Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), a comprehensive health and treatment interview that included 2-day recall of treatment adherence and reasons for nonadherence, and measures of substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. MAIN RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression showed that education and health literacy were significant and independent predictors of 2-day treatment adherence after controlling for age, ethnicity, income, HIV symptoms, substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. Persons of low literacy were more likely to miss treatment doses because of confusion, depression, and desire to cleanse their body than were participants with higher health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions are needed to help persons of low literacy adhere to antiretroviral therapies.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To test the significance of health literacy relative to other predictors of adherence to treatment for HIV and AIDS. PARTICIPANTS: Community sample of HIV-seropositive men (n = 138) and women (n = 44) currently taking a triple-drug combination of antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection; 60% were ethnic minorities, and 73% had been diagnosed with AIDS. MEASUREMENTS: An adapted form of the Test of Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), a comprehensive health and treatment interview that included 2-day recall of treatment adherence and reasons for nonadherence, and measures of substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. MAIN RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression showed that education and health literacy were significant and independent predictors of 2-day treatment adherence after controlling for age, ethnicity, income, HIV symptoms, substance abuse, social support, emotional distress, and attitudes toward primary care providers. Persons of low literacy were more likely to miss treatment doses because of confusion, depression, and desire to cleanse their body than were participants with higher health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions are needed to help persons of low literacy adhere to antiretroviral therapies.
KW - AIDS treatment
KW - HIV infection
KW - Medication adherence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032934575&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032934575&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.1999.00334.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.1999.00334.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 10337035
AN - SCOPUS:0032934575
VL - 14
SP - 267
EP - 273
JO - Journal of General Internal Medicine
JF - Journal of General Internal Medicine
SN - 0884-8734
IS - 5
ER -