Impact of adherence counselling with hatha yoga on HIV-infected adolescents: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction: Currently, global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic enters its' fourth decade. Notable challenge is faced owing to increasing proportion of HIV-infected adolescents and ultimate commitment to life-saving drug therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adherence counselling with hatha yoga in the treatment of HIV-infected adolescents and offering help in improving quality and increasing the span of the patents life. Material and methods: Randomized controlled trial design was adopted. Through simple random technique, a total of 388 HIV-infected adolescents was divided into experimental (n = 195) and control groups (n = 193). Data were collected from HIV-infected adolescents/caregivers from four main antiretroviral therapy (ART) centers in Chennai through modified adherence assessment questionnaire. Adherence counselling and yoga practice sessions were given for experimental group alone, and asanas were demonstrated by the researcher. Data were collected from both groups at 0, 3, and 6 months intervals. Results: In both groups, mean ART adherence scores in pre- and post-tests were 85.36 and 85.60, respectively. Mean difference in ART gain score with 95% CI was 13.4% in experimental and 4.9% in control group. Regarding CD4+ count, baseline mean score was 664.86 in experimental and 669.72 in control group, whereas in 6th month assessment, it rose to 840.30 and 703.35, respectively. Conclusions: Motivational counseling, along with yoga, shown effective in increasing ART adherence and CD4+ count among HIV-infected adolescents in experimental group compared with control group. Findings of this study proved that adherence counselling and yoga practice contributed significantly to the overall health and well-being of HIV-infected adolescents.