Determining factors associated with missed appointments among adults on anti-retroviral therapy in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal

The dataset underpinned a study titled "Factors associated with missed appointments among adults on anti-retroviral therapy in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A comparative descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey was conducted. Using the convenience sampling technique, 104 adults on ART (missed appointment group = 52, adherent group = 52) were recruited for the study. Data were collected using a structured and validated survey questionnaire. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies were used to summarise the results. Inferential statistics namely, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s exact tests, were used to compare the responses between the groups.

Three (n=3) demographic, seven (n=7) patient-related and eight (n=8) health-related factors were significantly associated with missed appointments (p<0.05). The factors are gender, employment status, HIV status disclosure, stigma, discrimination or isolation, lack of adequate nutrition, side effects of ARVs, mistreatment by the clinic staff, lack of counselling regarding ARVs, use of traditional medicine, lack of transport or transport fare, unacceptable facility setting, unacceptable rendering of HIV services, lack of nutritional support, inadequately prepared clinic staff, lack of comprehensive HIV care package, staff attitudes, dissatisfaction with the quality of services and being turned back without receiving health care services