Directly administered antiretroviral therapy (DAART) can improve health outcomes among HIV-infected drug users. An understanding of the utilization of DAART-initiation, adherence, and retention-is critical to successful program design. Here, we use the Behavioral Model to assess the enabling, predisposing, and need factors impacting adherence in our randomized, controlled trial of DAART versus self-administered therapy (SAT) among 141 HIV-infected drug users. Of 88 participants randomized to DAART, 74 (84%) initiated treatment, and 51 (69%) of those who initiated were retained in the program throughout the entire six-month period. Mean adherence to directly observed visits was 73%, and the mean overall composite adherence score was 77%. These results were seen despite the finding that 75% of participants indicated that they would prefer to take their own medications. Major causes of DAART discontinuation included hospitalization, incarceration, and entry into drug-treatment programs. The presence of depression and the lack of willingness to travel greater than four blocks to receive DAART predicted time-to-discontinuation. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
CITATION STYLE
Maru, D. S. R., Bruce, R. D., Walton, M., Mezger, J. A., Springer, S. A., Shield, D., & Altice, F. L. (2008). Initiation, adherence, and retention in a randomized controlled trial of directly administered antiretroviral therapy. AIDS and Behavior, 12(2), 284–293. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9336-2
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