Antiretroviral therapy adherence in a sample of men with low socioeconomic status: The role of task-specific treatment self-efficacy

Disparities continue to persist in HIV care and treatment outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities, men who have sex with men (MSM), and individuals with low socioeconomic status. Much research has identified treatment self-efficacy as a key factor in antiretroviral therapy adherence and subsequent treatment outcomes. Few studies, however, have elaborated on these links and their potential in reducing HIV treatment disparities by examining the role of task-specific types of treatment self-efficacy. In this study, we examined the effect of four types of task-specific treatment self-efficacy on antiretroviral adherence among patients in a predominantly racial/ethnic minority sample of HIV-seropositive MSM with low socioeconomic status. We grouped participants by duration of treatment to determine whether certain types of self-efficacy were more salient based on treatment experience. We found that participants with optimal adherence tended to have higher levels of task-specific self-efficacy related to medication management and mood management than participants with suboptimal adherence. After a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, only task-specific self-efficacy for medication management showed significant effects on adherence. Findings suggest that using focused, task-specific measures of treatment self-efficacy could strengthen our ability to aid patients at risk for adherence difficulties and tailor interventions to more effectively meet their needs.