Health Adherence

THE IMPACT OF HEALTH BELIEF ON THE ADHERENCE OF HIV ADULT MALE PATIENTS TO THEIR MEDICATIONS IN WASHINGTON DC.

Adherence to medical advice refers to a somewhat more informed and equitable decision by a consumer to stick with appropriate medical orders as prescribed, or medical treatment. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has transformed treatment of HIV infection by improving the clinical course of the disease and substantially reducing the HIV/AIDSs associated morbidity and mortality rates (Phil 1996). However, even modest and occasional non-adherence can greatly diminish the benefits of treatment and lead to serious personal and public health consequences. Suboptimal adherence that is taking less than ninety percent to ninety five percent of prescribed doses is associated with increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes which includes increased viral replication and the development of drug resistant HIV strains that host clinically significant health-related setbacks.
      The widely used theoretical framework for explaining health-related behaviors is the health belief model (HBM) which was developed in the 1950s by social psychologists Rosenstock,Hochbaum, and Kegelswhile working in the American Public Services. It attempts to explain and predict health behavior by focusing on the attitudes and beliefs of individuals. The model has been studied within the context of variety of health problems. These health problems and complications include; cancer, heart disease, diabetes and the most recently researched disease is HIV.   The health belief model is derived from a very well-established body of psychological and behavioral theory and hypothesis that health behaviors mainly depend mainly on the desire to avoid illness and belief that certain actions will prevent or alleviate the disease. Since then, HBM has been adapted to explore a variety of long-term and short term health behaviors, including sexual risk behaviors and the...