Effect of Social Support Interventions on Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of social support interventions (SSIs) on adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV. We systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library in September 9, 2020. English-language publications of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in peer-reviewed journals were considered eligible. To estimate the effects of SSIs on adherence to ART, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random effects models. Subgroup analysis was used to investigate the sources of heterogeneity. Of 243 records identified, 17 controlled trials were included. The meta-analysis found significant and moderate effect size in the improvement of adherence to ART from SSIs. Subgroup analysis showed that the study design, follow up duration, source of social support, and year of publication significantly moderated the effect sizes in the meta-analysis. Our findings support the hypothesis that social support interventions can improve adherence to ART. Using various types and sources of social support, further research is needed to assess the effect of SSIs on adherence to ART across different settings.