Adherence to Antiretroviral Medication Regimens: A Test of a Psychosocial Model

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Colleen K Diiorio, Emory University; Frances McCarty, Emory University; Lara Mireille DePadilla, Emory University; Ken Resnicow, University of Michigan; Marcia McDonnell Holstad, Emory University; Kate Yeager, Emory University; Sanjay M. Sharma, Emory University; Donald E. Morisky, University of California; Brita Lundberg, Newton Centre
• Language: English
• Date: 2009-02
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007
• Final Published Version (URL): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1182m00w61427h86/
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS and Behavior
• ISSN: 1090-7165
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 10
• End Page: 22
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research R01 NR04857.
• Keywords: Antiretroviral medication; AIDS; Medication adherence
• Research Categories: Education, Health; Health Sciences, Education

Abstract

Objective The primary aim of this study was to test a psychosocial model of medication adherence among people taking antiretroviral medications. This model was based primarily on social cognitive theory and included personal (self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, stigma, depression, and spirituality), social (social support, difficult life circumstances), and provider (patient satisfaction and decision-making) variables. Design The data for this analysis were obtained from the parent study, which was a randomized controlled trial (Get Busy Living) designed to evaluate an intervention to foster medication adherence. Factor analysis was used to develop the constructs for the model, and structural equation modeling was used to test the model. Only baseline data were used in this cross sectional analysis. Methods Participants were recruited from a HIV/AIDS clinic in Atlanta, GA. Prior to group assignment, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that included assessment of the study variables. Results A total of 236 participants were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 41 years; the majority were male, and most were African-American. In the final model, self-efficacy and depression demonstrated direct associations with adherence; whereas stigma, patient satisfaction, and social support were indirectly related to adherence through their association with either self-efficacy or depression. Conclusion These findings provide evidence to reinforce the belief that medication-taking behaviors are affected by a complex set of interactions among psychosocial variables and provide direction for adherence interventions.