Health functional literacy and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the relationship between adherence to antiretroviral therapy and Functional Health Literacy. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the Specialized Care Service in 2019, using questionnaires about adherence to treatment and Functional Health literacy people living with human immunodeficiency virus. The LFS questionnaire has questions about numerical and text interpretation skills and the adherence questionnaire addresses how to use antiretrovirals. Viral load was verified by analysis of medical records. Associations between variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: 78 patients were interviewed and a significant association between the variables to treatment adherence and Functional Literacy in Health was observed. The association between adherence to therapy and viral load levels was also significant. CONCLUSIONS: The data found show a significant association between the variables, ie, the lower the functional health literacy, the greater the difficulty to adhere to treatment.

Health functional literacy and adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV / Letramiento funcional en salud y adherencia a la terapia antirretroviral en personas que viven con VIH / Letramento funcional em saúde e adesão a terapia antirretroviral em pessoas vivendo com HIV

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the relationship between adherence to antiretroviral therapy and Functional Health Literacy. Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the Specialized Care Service in 2019, using questionnaires about adherence to treatment and Functional Health literacy people living with human immunodeficiency virus. The LFS questionnaire has questions about numerical and text interpretation skills and the adherence questionnaire addresses how to use antiretrovirals. Viral load was verified by analysis of medical records. Associations between variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results: 78 patients were interviewed and a significant association between the variables to treatment adherence and Functional Literacy in Health was observed. The association between adherence to therapy and viral load levels was also significant. Conclusions: The data found show a significant association between the variables, ie, the lower the functional health literacy, the greater the difficulty to adhere to treatment.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Verificar la asociación entre adherencia a la terapia antirretroviral y el Letramiento Funcional en Salud. Métodos: Estudio transversal, realizado en un Servicio de Atendimiento Especializado en 2019, utilizando cuestionarios sobre adherencia al tratamiento y el Letramiento Funcional en Salud en personas que viven con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana. El cuestionario LFS tiene preguntas sobre habilidades numéricas e interpretación de textos y el cuestionario de adherencia aborda el uso de antirretrovirales. La carga viral se verificó mediante análisis de las historias clínicas. Las asociaciones entre variables se analizaron mediante la prueba de Qui-cuadrado. Resultados: Fueron entrevistados 78 pacientes e observada una asociación significativa entre las variables adherencia al tratamiento y Letramiento Funcional en Salud. La asociación entre la adherencia a la terapia y niveles de carga viral también fue significativa. Conclusiones: Los datos encontrados muestran una asociación significativa entre las variables, es decir, cuanto menor el Letramiento Funcional em Salud, mayor es la dificultad para adherirse al tratamiento.

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar a relação entre adesão a terapia antirretroviral e o Letramento Funcional em Saúde. Métodos: Estudo transversal, realizado no Serviço de Atendimento Especializado, em 2019, utilizando questionários sobre adesão ao tratamento e Letramento Funcional em Saúde em pessoas vivendo com o Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana. O questionário para LFS possui questões sobre habilidades numéricas e de interpretação de texto e o de adesão aborda a forma de utilização dos antirretrovirais. A carga viral foi obtida nos prontuários. As associações entre as variáveis foram analisadas pelo teste do Qui-quadrado. Resultados: Foram entrevistados 78 pacientes e observada uma associação significativa entre as variáveis adesão ao tratamento e Letramento Funcional em Saúde. A associação entre a adesão à terapia e níveis de carga viral também foi significativa. Conclusões: Os dados encontrados mostram associação significativa entre as variáveis, então, quanto menor o letramento funcional em saúde, maior a dificuldade de aderir ao tratamento.

A novel pH-responsive hydrogel-based on calcium alginate engineered by the previous formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) intended to vaginal administration.

This work aimed to develop a calcium alginate hydrogel as a pH responsive delivery system for polymyxin B (PMX) sustained-release through the vaginal route. Two samples of sodium alginate from different suppliers were characterized. The molecular weight and M/G ratio determined were, approximately, 107 KDa and 1.93 for alginate_S and 32 KDa and 1.36 for alginate_V. Polymer rheological investigations were further performed through the preparation of hydrogels. Alginate_V was selected for subsequent incorporation of PMX due to the acquisition of pseudoplastic viscous system able to acquiring a differential structure in simulated vaginal microenvironment (pH 4.5). The PMX-loaded hydrogel (hydrogel_PMX) was engineered based on polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) formation between alginate and PMX followed by crosslinking with calcium chloride. This system exhibited a morphology with variable pore sizes, ranging from 100 to 200 µm and adequate syringeability. The hydrogel liquid uptake ability in an acid environment was minimized by the previous PECs formation. In vitro tests evidenced the hydrogels mucoadhesiveness. PMX release was pH-dependent and the system was able to sustain the release up to 6 days. A burst release was observed at pH 7.4 and drug release was driven by an anomalous transport, as determined by the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. At pH 4.5, drug release correlated with Weibull model and drug transport was driven by Fickian diffusion. The calcium alginate hydrogels engineered by the previous formation of PECs showed to be a promising platform for sustained release of cationic drugs through vaginal administration.