@Article{info:doi/10.2196/57540,
author="Del Moral Trinidad, Luis Eduardo
and Andrade Villanueva, Jaime Federico
and Mart{\'i}nez Ayala, Pedro
and Cabrera Silva, Rodolfo Ismael
and Herrera Godina, Melva Guadalupe
and Gonz{\'a}lez-Hern{\'a}ndez, Luz Alicia",
title="Effectiveness of an mHealth Intervention With Short Text Messages to Promote Treatment Adherence Among HIV-Positive Mexican Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial",
journal="JMIR Mhealth Uhealth",
year="2025",
month="Jan",
day="28",
volume="13",
pages="e57540",
keywords="HIV; treatment adherence; mobile health; mHealth; mHealth intervention; randomized clinical trial; text messages; eHealth intervention; sexual health; randomized controlled trial; RCT",
abstract="Background: HIV continues to be a public health concern in Mexico and Latin America due to an increase in new infections, despite a decrease being observed globally. Treatment adherence is a pillar for achieving viral suppression. It prevents the spread of the disease at a community level and improves the quality and survival of people living with HIV. Thus, it is important to implement strategies to achieve sustained treatment adherence. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention based on SMS text messages to increase antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence for HIV-positive adults. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara -- Fray Antonio Alcalde on HIV-positive adults who had initiated ART. The mHealth intervention included the use of SMS text messages as a reminder system for upcoming medical examinations and ART resupply to increase adherence. This intervention was provided to 40 participants for a 6-month period. A control group (n=40) received medical attention by the standard protocol used in the hospital. Intervention effectiveness was assessed by quantifying CD4+ T cells and viral load, as well as a self-report of adherence by the patient. Results: The intervention group had greater adherence to ART than the control group (96{\%} vs 92{\%}; P<.001). In addition, the intervention group had better clinical characteristics, including a lower viral load (141 copies/mL vs 2413 copies/mL; P<.001) and a trend toward higher CD4+ T cells counts (399 cells/$\mu$L vs 290 cells/$\mu$L; P=.15). Conclusions: These results show that an mHealth intervention significantly improves ART adherence. Implementing mHealth programs could enhance the commitment of HIV-positive adults to their treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05187741; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05187741 ",
issn="2291-5222",
doi="10.2196/57540",
url="https://mhealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e57540",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/57540"
}