Sociodemographic factors affecting viral load suppression among people living with HIV in South Carolina

ABSTRACT

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) enables people living with HIV (PLWH) to reach and maintain viral suppression. As viral suppression significantly reduces risk for secondary transmission, this study aimed to examine sociodemographic factors associated with viral suppression among PLWH in South Carolina (SC). We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 342 PLWH receiving HIV care from a large clinic in SC and provided complete information on most recent viral load, ART adherence, and sociodemographic factors. Bivariate analysis examined associations between key variables, and logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of viral suppression among select sociodemographic groups and adherence levels. Results indicated that approximately 82% of participants reported achieving viral suppression. PLWH who were older, male, and employed full-time had higher odds of being virally suppressed compared to those who were younger, female, and unemployed. PLWH with medium (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 3.79; 95% CI: 1.15–12.48) and high (aOR: 3.51; 95% CI: 1.21–10.24) levels of adherence were more likely to report viral suppression than those with low adherence. Targeted interventions are warranted for groups at-risk of low ART adherence, and healthcare providers should also be aware of contextual factors that serve as barriers to adherence for PLWH.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• viral suppression
• adherence
• sociodemographic

Acknowledgements

This study was funded in part by the South Carolina SmartState Program®. The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the participants in this study. We also would like to give a special thanks to the staff at the immunology center where this study was conducted and the research team without whose dedication and expertise, this study could not have been conducted.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study can be available on request from the SC SmartState Center for Health Care Quality.

Authors’ contribution

MRH designed the study, analyzed and interpreted data. MRH, XY, LI, AH, and AB developed the first draft of the manuscript. MJB, SH, BO and XL provided guidance to MRH in designing the study and developing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final draft of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Data collection for this study was funded by the South Carolina SmartState Program® (https://smartstatesc.org/). MRH, BO, and XL were supported by the National Institutes of Allergey and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AI127203. MJB is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K01MH115794. SEH is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K01MH118073. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.