Motives, Social Support, and Adherence Behaviors in HIV-Patients: Structural Equation Modeling

A cross-sectional study was carried out in order to assess the influence of a set of psychological and social variables on adherence behaviors in a sample of 69 persons with HIV, using a structural equations model. The final model revealed a strong influence of motives and social support on adherence behaviors, both explaining 49% of the total variance; also, an effect of adherence behaviors on viral load levels and of this one on TCD-4+ cells counts were observed. The current study contributes to understand variables undelying adherence behaviors in a sample of persons with HIV, and therefore intervention programs directed to promote and/or to maintain these behaviors must to consider the specific weight of some psychological and social variables along the behavioral continuum.