The relationship of disease severity, health beliefs, and medication adherence among HIV patients

Purpose. To investigate the relationship of disease severity, health beliefs, and medication adherence among HIV/AIDS patients.;Results. Seventy-two HIV patients were enrolled. There were no significant differences in patients' perceived severity of HIV/AIDS and perceptions of benefits and barriers of the treatment across three disease stages. However, patients who had greater experience with the disease (stage C) perceived a higher risk to develop complications if they were not adherent compared to asymptomatic patients (stage A). Results also revealed that patients in stage B and C were more adherent to their medications compared to patients in stage A when regimen complexity was controlled. Finally, perceived susceptibility-inaction was positively related to medication adherence and difficulty in following doctors' instructions was negatively related to adherence.;Implications. Patients' medication taking behaviors can be improved by targeting issues specific to the individual patient and helping patients understand the negative consequences of poor adherence.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy

Year dc:date.available

1999

Author dc:creator

• Gao, Xin

Contributors dc:contributor

• David Nau
• Sidney Rosenbluth.

• Pharmaceutical sciences
• Medicine

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1054

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2057