Knowledge Level in Correlation with Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV Patient in Dr Moewardi Hospital, Surakarta

Abstract

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a retrovirus that primarily attacks immune cells, has resulted in a total of 329,581 reported cases in Indonesia between 1987 and 2022. The adherence of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy can be influenced by various factors such as stigma, peer support, and knowledge levels. This study explored the correlation of knowledge on ARV therapy and HIV with therapy compliance among PLWHA in Indonesia.
Methods: An analytical observational study utilizing a cross-sectional design was performed . in HIV patients regularly visiting VCT clinic in Dr Moewardi hospital, Surakarta. The data were collected from the structured questionnaire distributed to these patients. The correlation between variables was analyzed with Spearman’s rank test, and the significance level was set at p<0.05. All statistical analyses used SPSS 26.
Results: We obtained 60 respondents who met the inclusion criteria. Most of them were late adults (51.7% ; n=31). The majority respondents graduated from high schools (48.3% ; n=29). Sixty percent respondents (n=36) had good knowledge on ARV and HIV. These respondents also had high adherence to therapy (48.3% ; n=29). Spearman’s rank test demonstrated a significant correlation between knowledge level and adherence to ARV therapy (r=0.572 ; p=0.001).
Conclusion: There is a moderate significant positive correlation between knowledge and adherence to ARV therapy among PLWHA
Keywords: HIV, AIDS, ARV, knowledge, therapy adherence