Booklet for healthy lifestyle in people with HIV: a clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an educational booklet to promote healthy lifestyle and antiretroviral compliance in people with HIV. Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial at an outpatient clinic in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, with 70 patients in the intervention group and 74 in the control group. People with HIV over 18 years of age, of both sexes, on antiretroviral therapy for more than six months, with a landline or cell phone, and 35 or more points on the Health Literacy Scale were included. Data collection took place in four moments, using the Individual Lifestyle Profile Scale and the Assessment of Antiretroviral Therapy Compliance Questionnaire (Cuestionario para la Evaluación de la Adhesión al Tratamiento Antirretroviral). The control group received routine medical consultation, and the intervention group, in addition to routine consultation, read the booklet in the office, and then took it home. Non-parametric analysis of variance of repeated measures was used for statistics. Results: Most participants had an unsatisfactory lifestyle at baseline. The booklet improved patients’ lifestyle after two (P<0.001), four (P<0.001) and six months (P<0.001) of intervention, when comparing the different times to baseline and control. There was an improvement in antiretroviral compliance scores in the intervention group when compared to baseline (P<0.001) and control (P<0.001). Conclusion: The booklet was effective in promoting a healthy lifestyle and improving antiretroviral compliance in people with HIV, therefore, it can complement outpatient consultations.