Treatment beliefs, illness perceptions, and non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy in an ethnically diverse patient population

Background Ethnic diversity is increasingly encountered in the HIV-infected population in North America, and it is unknown if beliefs surrounding illness and treatment vary among different ethnic groups. Objective Our objectives were to determine whether self-reported adherence, illness perceptions and treatment beliefs regarding HIV differ based on ethnicity. Setting This study was conducted during outpatient HIV clinic visits between March 1, 2010 and April 30, 2010 at two hospital-based clinics in Edmonton, AB, Canada. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 65 patients on antiretroviral therapy (34 Caucasian, 23 Aboriginal, and 8 from other ethnic groups) attending hospital-based clinics completed a self-administered survey; medical records were reviewed for demographic and treatment information. Main outcome measure An ANOVA with covariates was performed to measure variation of beliefs and adherence between ethnic groups. Results Mean self-reported adherence in the past week and past month was high (96 %) and the majority of patients (78.5 %) had a viral load <40 copies/mL. Patients had high perceived necessity scores and a low degree of perceived concern with antiretroviral therapy. In our study, treatment beliefs, illness perceptions, and self-reported adherence did not vary between ethnicities (p > 0.05). Conclusion Treatment beliefs, illness perceptions, and adherence appear to be largely similar in English-speaking patients with diverse ethnic backgrounds who have been on treatment for at least 3 months. Strong supports may overcome any cultural differences in treatment beliefs that were expected at the outset.