This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1545109708318526v1 7/3/123    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Cardarelli, R. Articles by Fulda, K. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cardarelli, R. Articles by Fulda, K. G. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

General Health Status and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy

Primary Care Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, rcardare{at}hsc.unt.edu

Stephen Weis, DO

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

Elvin Adams, MD, MPH

Preventive Medicine Clinic, Tarrant County Public Health Fort Worth, Texas

Debbie Radaford, MS, FNP-C

Preventive Medicine Clinic, Tarrant County Public Health Fort Worth, Texas

Isabel Vecino, MD, MHA

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

Guadalupe Munguia, MD, MPH

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

Katandria Love Johnson, MA, MS-CCC SLP

Primary Care Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

Kimberly G. Fulda, PhD

Primary Care Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) adherence is crucial in lowering HIV/AIDS-related mortality. General health status is known to predict mortality, but no study has assessed its association with HAART adherence. A total of 103 whites, African Americans, and Hispanic/Latinos with HIV/AIDS underwent an interview using validated measures. Regression analyses assessed the relationship between general health status and HAART adherence while controlling for social support, sense of control, depression, stress, HIV stigma, substance abuse, and unfair treatment because of race. Those rating their general health as fair/poor were 4 times more likely to be nonadherent (odds ratio [OR], 4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-15.79). This association dramatically strengthened in the multivariate regression model (OR, 10.96; 95% CI, 1.46-82.36) after controlling for the covariates. Conclusion: General health status was the strongest predictor of HAART nonadherence, and future research is needed to assess whether this 1-question general health measure can be clinically used to influence adherence.

Key Words: self-rated health • HAART • adherence • social support

This version was published on June 1, 2008

Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (JIAPAC), Vol. 7, No. 3, 123-129 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1545109708318526


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?