Abstract
In the realm of HIV care, support groups play a pivotal role by bringing together individuals living with HIV to share experiences and receive guidance from healthcare professionals. These groups are renowned for their substantial benefits, including improving emotional well-being, enhancing treatment adherence, and fostering a strong sense of community. However, despite these advantages, there is a notable gap in Ethiopia regarding concrete evidence of their impact on key treatment outcomes. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring how support group care influences viral suppression rates among HIV patients. The study was conducted among 259 HIV-positive individuals on ART using the EPHIA survey, employing a two-stage, stratified sampling design across urban areas in nine regions and two city administrations. Data analysis was performed using STATA version 17, and multicollinearity was assessed (VIF = 1.07). A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted, with a p-value of ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results showed that 25.12% of participants utilized HIV support groups. Those who participated in support groups were 3.14 times more likely to achieve viral load suppression compared to non-participants (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.35–6.30). This study highlights that HIV support groups significantly boost viral suppression rates, underscoring the importance of integrating these groups into standard treatment protocols. These findings underline the need for continued research to assess long-term outcomes and further optimize the effectiveness of support group care in enhancing HIV treatment outcomes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The row data for this study are available in the PHIA Project (https://phia.icap.columbia.edu/).
References
Fanelli CW, Moyo AR. Guidelines for establishing and operating successful support groups for people living with HIV. Cathol Relief Serv. 2018
Bateganya MH, Amanyeiwe U, Roxo U, Dong M. Impact of support groups for people living with HIV on clinical outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2015;68(Suppl 3):S368–74. https://doi.org/10.1097/qai.0000000000000519.
Birore CM, Wu L, Abrefa-Gyan T, Lewis MW. Social support and quality of life among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana. J Fam Issues. 2022;43(8):2159–80.
World Health Organization. Supporting re-engagement in HIV treatment services. 2024
Peterson JL, Rintamaki LS, Brashers DE, Goldsmith DJ, Neidig JL. The forms and functions of peer social support for people living with HIV. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2012;23(4):294–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jana.2011.08.014.
Krebs DW, Chi BH, Mulenga Y, Morris M, Cantrell RA, Mulenga L, et al. Community-based follow-up for late patients enrolled in a district-wide programme for antiretroviral therapy in Lusaka, Zambia. AIDS Care. 2008;20(3):311–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540120701594776.
Organization WH. Integration of mental health and HIV interventions: key considerations. 2022.
de Los RP, Okoli C, Castellanos E, Allan B, Young B, Brough G, et al. Physical, emotional, and psychosocial challenges associated with daily dosing of HIV medications and their impact on indicators of quality of life: findings from the positive perspectives study. AIDS Behav. 2021;25:961–72.
Quinn KG, Murphy MK, Nigogosyan Z, Petroll AE. Stigma, isolation and depression among older adults living with HIV in rural areas. Ageing Soc. 2020;40(6):1352–70.
Rzeszutek M, Gruszczyńska E, Pięta M, Malinowska P. HIV/AIDS stigma and psychological well-being after 40 years of HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1990527.
Ziersch A, Walsh M, Baak M, Rowley G, Oudih E, Mwanri L. “It is not an acceptable disease”: a qualitative study of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and impacts on health and wellbeing for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):779.
Wedajo S, Degu G, Deribew A, Ambaw F. Social support, perceived stigma, and depression among PLHIV on second-line antiretroviral therapy using structural equation modeling in a multicenter study in Northeast Ethiopia. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2022;16(1):27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00536-9.
Bateganya MH, Amanyeiwe U, Roxo U, Dong M. Impact of support groups for people living with HIV on clinical outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. JAIDS J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2015;68:S368–74.
Organization WH. Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring: recommendations for a public health approach. World Health Organization; 2021
"Ethiopia Population - 2021 Data - 2022 Forecast - 1960–2020 Historical - Chart - News" 2022. Available from: https://tradingeconomics.com/ethiopia/population
Organization WH. The role of HIV viral suppression in improving individual health and reducing transmission: policy brief. World Health Organization; 2023
Achieng L, Musangi H, Ong’uti S, Ombegoh E, Bryant L, Mwiindi J, et al. An observational cohort comparison of facilitators of retention in care and adherence to anti-eetroviral therapy at an HIV treatment center in Kenya. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(3): e32727. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032727.
Tumwikirize S, Torpey K, Adedokun O, Badru T. The value of support group participation in influencing adherence to antiretroviral treatment among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). World J AIDS. 2015;5(3):189–98.
Wouters E, Van Damme W, Van Loon F, van Rensburg D, Meulemans H. Public-sector ART in the Free State Province, South Africa: community support as an important determinant of outcome. Soc Sci Med. 2009;69(8):1177–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.07.034.
Tassiopoulos K, Huo Y, Kacanek D, Malee K, Nichols S, Mellins CA, et al. Association of perceived social support with viral suppression among young adults with perinatally-acquired HIV in the US-based pediatric HIV/AIDS cohort study (PHACS). Clin Epidemiol. 2023;15:601–11. https://doi.org/10.2147/clep.S403570.
Mbah P, Iroezindu M, Esber AL, Dear N, Reed D, Adamu Y, et al. Assessing the impact of HIV support groups on antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral suppression in the African cohort study. BMC Infect Dis. 2021;21(1):694. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06390-3.
Acknowledgements
The author is indebted to the PHIA Project for giving permission to access the dataset.
Funding
There is no specific funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
TAK: Originate the idea; formulate the protocol, acquisition of data analysis and interpretation, analysis, methodology, review and editing the manuscript. RNH: Data curation, formal data analysis and manuscript write up. The author’s consented to submit the article to the current journal.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
There is no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
The survey protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI, Ethiopia), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA USA), and Columbia University (New York, NY USA). The EPHIA Data Analysis Advisory Committee at the EPHI approved the analysis of the data.
Consent for Publication
None.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Kitaw, T.A., Haile, R.N. HIV Support Group Care Utilization and its Effect on Treatment Outcome Among HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy: Evidence from Ethiopia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment. AIDS Behav 29, 817–822 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-024-04562-1
Accepted:
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-024-04562-1