Journal of
AIDS and HIV Research

  • Abbreviation: J. AIDS HIV Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2359
  • DOI: 10.5897/JAHR
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 299

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of text-messaging on treatment adherence practices among young people living with HIV in Niger State, Nigeria

Olugbenga Asaolu
  • Olugbenga Asaolu
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Gbadegesin O. Alawode
  • Gbadegesin O. Alawode
  • Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Saratu Ajike
  • Saratu Ajike
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Ololade O. Ogunsami
  • Ololade O. Ogunsami
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Segun E. Ibitoye
  • Segun E. Ibitoye
  • Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Mustapha Bello
  • Mustapha Bello
  • Nuffield Center for International Health and Development, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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John O. Ibitoye
  • John O. Ibitoye
  • Program Impact and Quality Department, Catholic Relief Services, Abuja, Nigeria.
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Adebusola Oyeyemi
  • Adebusola Oyeyemi
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Adeniyi Adeniran
  • Adeniyi Adeniran
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Chisom Emeka
  • Chisom Emeka
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Oluwagbemiga Obembe
  • Oluwagbemiga Obembe
  • Department of Public Health, Texila American University, Georgetown, Guyana.
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Oladimeji Folorunsho-Ako
  • Oladimeji Folorunsho-Ako
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Olutayo Asaolu
  • Olutayo Asaolu
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Adaeze Ugwu
  • Adaeze Ugwu
  • Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
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Titus Ojewumi
  • Titus Ojewumi
  • Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Faculty of Social Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Adekemi Asaolu
  • Adekemi Asaolu
  • School of Business, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
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Olubunmi Ojelade
  • Olubunmi Ojelade
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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Olubayode Asaolu
  • Olubayode Asaolu
  • Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
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Nannim Nalda
  • Nannim Nalda
  • School of Health and Social Care, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
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Catherine Agbede
  • Catherine Agbede
  • Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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  •  Received: 10 April 2023
  •  Accepted: 26 May 2023
  •  Published: 30 June 2023

Abstract

Recent studies reveal that Youths living with HIV (YLHIV) enrolled in HIV treatment experience a higher rate of interruption in treatment, sub-optimal medication adherence, and greater HIV-related mortality compared with other age groups. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of text messaging on medication adherence and antiretroviral-therapy (ART) retention practices among YLHIV in Niger state, Nigeria. The study was a quasi-experimental design in two selected hospitals. One hospital was assigned to a once-weekly text message intervention (TMI) for six weeks, and the 2nd served as the control group (CG). Data were collected at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and at the sixth-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that between baseline and immediate post-intervention, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the mean score of knowledge, perception, medication-adherence, and ART retention practices (from 9.62±12.28 to 22.98±4.57; 32.21±30.01 to 79.04±4.13; 13.50±8.41 to 26.65±13.15; 6.62±3.53 to 15.15±2.42) but there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in the CG (from 10.29±11.08 to 10.58±10.74, 34.81±25.15 to 35.81±24.80, 17.13±9.23 to 17.23±9.16, 9.00±5.59 to 9.00±5.59) respectively. Between baseline and 6th week follow-up, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) with a large effect size for knowledge (1.6), perception (2.2), medication-adherence (2.2) and ART retention practices (3.1) but no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the CG for all measures with an effect size of 0. The text messages intervention effectively influenced knowledge and perception of YLHIV, thereby improving treatment adherence practices. In addition, findings from this study can be used to design projects or interventions for scaling up the use of mobile phone text messaging to promote the adoption of health innovations and influence mHealth policy dialogue and review.

Key words: HIV, mHealth, text message, treatment adherence, youths.

Abbreviation

YLHIV, Youths Living with HIV; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; ART: Antiretroviral Therapy; TMI: Text Messaging Intervention;

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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