Determinants of Antiretroviral Treatment Interruptions among Adult HIV Patients on antiretroviral therapy in Woliso Town Health Facilities, Woliso, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022

Background Close observation is essential for long-lasting viral suppression and effective treatment outcomes in HIV patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, many HIV patients find it difficult to continue receiving antiretroviral therapy, and stopping ART continues to impede the development of HIV programmes aimed at containing the HIV epidemic. Objective The objective of the study aimed to assess the determinants of antiretroviral therapy interruptions among adult HIV patients receiving ART in Woliso Health Facilities, Woliso, Oromia, Ethiopia, in 2022. Methods With 164 cases and 164 controls, a facility-based unmatched case-control study was carried out. The study participants were chosen using a simple random sampling method. Data extraction forms were used to gather the data. Epi Info version 7 was used to input the data, while SPSS version 20 was used for analysis. The data were summarised using descriptive statistics. Variables having a P-value 0.25 were added to the multiple binary logistic regression model after performing binary logistic regression analysis. Using an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI), the relationship between the dependent and independent variables was evaluated. A P-value of 0.05 was used to denote a significant relationship. Results 107 (66.88%) cases and 103 (62.8%) controls out of the total study participants were female. The mean ages of the cases and controls were, respectively, 36.95 (10.7 SD) and 39.4 (10 SD) years. Not disclosing their HIV status (AOR 3.04, 95% CI: 1.65, 5.59), not following a monthly ART dispensing model (AOR 4.44, 95% CI: 2.40, 8.20), being a farmer (AOR 3.71, 95% CI: 1.36, 10.13), not being assessed for drug side effects (AOR 2.26, 95% CI: 1.23, 4.15), and not being able to read or write were found to be important predictors of interrupting antiretroviral therapy (AOR 4.28, 95% CI: 1.77, 10.33). Conclusion and recommendation In this study, not having a formal job, being a farmer, HIV status non-disclosure, following the monthly based ART dispensing model, not having a registered viral load, being unable to read and write, and not being assessed for drug side effects were found to be determinant factors of antiretroviral treatment interruption. Therefore, health facilities, district health departments, and zonal health offices should work to improve HIV clinical care and treatment.