Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite the increased availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), its success depends on a high level of adherence to a life-long antiretroviral therapy. However, the extent and factors associated with adherence to ART are not well known, especially in the current study setup. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of adherence and associated factors among children on ART in Northwest, Ethiopia. METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children receiving ART at South Gondar public hospitals. Children receiving ART from January 1, 2015, to November 30, 2020, were included in the study. A computer-generated simple random sampling technique was employed. The data were entered into the EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed by STATA 14 statistical software. Bivariable logistic regression was fitted for each predictor variable. Moreover, those variables having a p-value ≤0.25 in bivariate analysis were fitted into a multivariable logistic regression model. P-value <0.05 was used to declare significance. RESULTS: A total of 363 HIV-infected children were involved in the study. From 363 HIV-infected children, the level of adherence to ART was found to be 78.2%, 95% CI (73.6, 82.2). TB co-infection [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.8, 95% CI (1.41, 10.1)], short duration on ART (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI (1.60, 7.20)), treatment failure (AOR = 10.2, 95% CI (3.95, 26.2)), and Zidovudine containing ART regimen (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI (1.1, 10.9)) were significant predictors of poor adherence. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that the level of adherence to ART was found to be low TB co-infection, short duration of ART, Zidovudine-containing ART regimen, and treatment failure were found to be significantly associated with poor adherence. Further studies on adherence rate and its determinants with multiple adherence measurements using prospective and multicenter studies were recommended.