Abstract

This study aimed to assess the factors associated with adherence to antiretroviral treatment among adolescents attending
Kalisizo Hospital, Kyotera District. This was based on study specific objectives that included; assessing the individual, drug
related and health care related factors associated with adherence to antiretroviral treatment among adolescents attending
Kaliisizo Hospital Kyotera District. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design where a sample of 355 respondents
who were adolescents between 10 and 25 on antiretroviral treatment was used. Stratified and simple random sampling
techniques were used to select the respondents and data was collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed
using SPSS. The level of adherence to antiretroviral treatment was low at 33%. This was far lower than the national target
of 90%. This was attributed to individual, drug and healthcare factors. Individual factors were; gender (P=0.001), age
P=0.021), marital status (P=0.039). The level of adherence to antiretroviral treatment was low. This was attributed to
missing of taking of drugs due stigma, drug stock outs, failure to get routine education about ART, distance to health
facility, inadequacy of information given and long waiting time.