Psychosocial factors associated with adherence to antiretroviral medications in a sample of HIV-positive African American drug users

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors affecting antiretroviral adherence among African American drug users, specifically to identify associations between self-reported adherence levels and psychosocial measures selected with guidance from the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC). The study was conducted using data collected from 137 HIV-positive African American drug users who were receiving antiretroviral medications at the time they were interviewed. Bivariate associations were investigated using correlational analyses and variables showing a significant correlation with adherence were entered into a multivariate regression model. The multivariate model showed only perceived efficacy of antiretrovirals and one measure of perceived barriers, simply forgetting to take medications, were independently related to adherence. These preliminary findings suggest that theoretical approaches to understanding antiretroviral adherence must address a range of variables, including but not limited to behavioural practices, cognitive appraisals, affective responses and social support. Further studies using the complete TMSC are recommended.