Intention to start ART after the launch of expanded treatment strategy among people living with HIV in China: a behavioral theory-based cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the prevalence of intention to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately among people living with HIV (PLWH) in China and associated perceptions toward ART based on behavioral theories. The study was initiated after the launch of an expanded ART strategy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 450 PLWH who were ART naive in the city of Guangzhou, China, from June 2016 to February 2017. Among the participants, 311 (69.1%) showed intention to start ART immediately. The summary logistic regression analysis indicated that intention to start ART immediately was significantly associated with perceived severity [multivariate odds ratios (OR_m) = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.15–2.28, p < 0.01], perceived barriers (OR_m=0.56, 95%CI = 0.38–0.84, p < 0.01), self-efficacy (OR_m=2.90, 95%CI = 2.05–4.09, p < 0.001), and subjective norms (OR_m=1.95, 95%CI = 1.17–3.25, p < 0.05). The intention to start ART immediately among PLWH in Guangzhou was below the 90-90-90 target. Further promotion research should focus on these perceptional factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Human immunodeficiency virus
• antiretroviral therapy
• treatment as Prevention
• behavioral theory
• China

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the medical staff of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and all participants in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the Guangzhou Science and Technology Project (#201607010368), Guangdong Science and Technology Project (#2017A020212006), National Natural Science Foundation of China (#71774178), and Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment of AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Tuberculosis Communities Project of Guangdong Province (#2018ZX10715004).