Factors associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral treatment among HIV-infected patients in a high-altitude hospital

Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been fundamental in the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; however, achieving adherence to this treatment is a significant challenge, especially in unique geographic areas and populations. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence and factors associated with non-adherence to ART among patients with HIV infection in a high-altitude hospital. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 160 patients using questionnaire for evaluation of adherence to antiretroviral treatment in patients with HIV/AIDS (CEAT-HIV). Data processing was performed with Stata 15 program to determine the association between risk factors and non-adherence to ART, with prevalence ratio (PR) calculated by generalized linear model of family Poisson. Statistical significance was defined at a p-value of 0.05. Results: The prevalence of poor adherence was 54.87%. Socio-demographic factors included male sex (PR: 1.45; p = 0.039), no family support (PR: 1.45; p = 0.017), and alcohol consumption (PR: 1.41; p = 0.017). Clinical factors were not statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Our study revealed a high proportion of non-adherence to ART. The risk factors associated with non-adherence to ART among patients with HIV/AIDS were male sex, not having family support, and consuming alcohol.