The Effect of Education Package on Caregivers' Knowledge, and Practices Towards Caring for Adolescents Living With HIV: A Case Study of a Health Center IV in Mid-western Uganda
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Date
2024-10-04
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Uganda Christian University
Abstract
Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS, which is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Globally, an estimated 37.9 million people are currently living with HIV, of these, 36.2 million were adults and 1.7 million were adolescents, about 1.5 million (89 %) live in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, an estimated 1.4 million people were living with HIV in 2018, about 9% were adolescents aged, and an estimated 1.6% Ugandans died of AIDS-related illnesses. Adolescents on ART need support in order to ensure the high level of adherence is achieved to maximize the benefits of the therapy. The support and guidance from their caregivers are crucial in improving their adherence on ART.
However, caregivers‟ intent support to adolescents is a major challenge due to lack of adequate knowledge about the ever-changing drugs used
in the treatment of HIV. This study therefore, was to find out the effect of an interventional education package to the caregivers on their
knowledge about ART and their practices towards ART adherence among adolescents.
Methods: A sample of 98 caregivers were adopted for the study. Data collection was done before and after the education, intervention package slated for one month and this was done by use of an administered questionnaire that was translated into Runyoro. The data was finally analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of the statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results: Analysis revealed that active drug level influenced adherence to ART among adolescents, caregivers' supportive of the adolescent on ART improved their adherence, and knowledge affects the way the caregiver enforces the dosages towards the adolescents, and enables them to plan effectively and empowers their ability to supervise their adolescents on ART.
Conclusion: Knowledge is a very fundamental factor among caregivers, education package enriches the caregivers' commitment to practices towards enhancing adolescent's adherence on ART, and the caregivers‟ knowledge has a significant relationship with their commitment when it comes to caring for adolescents on ART.
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Postgraduate research