title: Nonadherence is Associated with Lack of HIV-Related Knowledge: A Cross-Sectional Study among HIV-Infected Individuals in Guinea-Bissau.
abstract: Poor treatment adherence is a main barrier for effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally. HIV-related knowledge may affect understanding and utilization of HIV medical information, hence limited health literacy is a known barrier to treatment adherence.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study included 494 HIV-infected individuals from the Bissau HIV Cohort in Guinea-Bissau. They completed a questionnaire designed for assessment of adherence and HIV-related knowledge.
  
  
  
  A majority were female, 41% were illiterate, 25% did not take the medicine during the last 4 days, and 23% skipped their medicine during weekends. The most frequent reasons for not taking medicine were simply forgetting, side effects, lack of food, and being too ill to attend the clinic. Nonadherent patients had a lower level of HIV-related knowledge.
  
  
  
  Main barriers for nonadherence were side effects, food insecurity, and simply forgetting. Lack of HIV-related knowledge about ART and HIV may be a barrier to nonadherence.
authors: Bandim Health Project, In-depth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark chrhns@rm.dk.
authors: Charlotte
authors: C
authors: Dyrehave
authors: Bandim Health Project, In-depth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors: Dlama Nggida
authors: DN
authors: Rasmussen
authors: Bandim Health Project, In-depth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Bo Langhoff
authors: BL
authors: Hønge
authors: Bandim Health Project, In-depth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Sanne
authors: S
authors: Jespersen
authors: Centro de Tratamento Ambulatorio(CTA), Hospital Nacional Simão Mendes, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors: Faustino Gomes
authors: FG
authors: Correia
authors: Centro de Tratamento Ambulatorio(CTA), Hospital Nacional Simão Mendes, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
authors: Candida
authors: C
authors: Medina
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Centro de Tratamento Ambulatorio(CTA), Hospital Nacional Simão Mendes, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau Centres of Global Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Wejse
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors: Lotte
authors: L
authors: Rodkjaer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006169:Guinea-Bissau / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: HIV; HIV-related knowledge; adherence; health literacy