A Pilot Study of Adherence to Oral Medication and Health Beliefs of Adolescents With HIV and Their Mothers

The proposed study has two specific aims 1) to gather data about treatment adherence levels among adolescents (11-21 years) with HIV and 2) to obtain information about the adolescents and mothers' health beliefs and examine their relationship to the adolescents' adherence levels. This pilot study is designed to gather preliminary data about the feasibility of using several new measures with this population. To achieve these aims, a convenience sample of approximately 45 adolescents with HIV will re recruited. The adolescents and their mothers will complete a brief questionnaire about their health beliefs. A 24-hour recall interview format will be used to assess the adolescents' treatment adherence to prescribed oral medication. The adolescent will complete recall interviews on three random days over a two week period. Data analysis will be primarily descriptive, but will be used to generate more specific hypotheses for future research studies. The long-term goal of this research is to better identify adolescents with HIV at risk for non-adherence and design empirically derived interventions to improve their adherence levels. The health beliefs measure may also be useful in identifying irrational beliefs about the illness or treatment that can then be targeted for cognitive restructing in psychological interventions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Detailed Description

The proposed study has two specific aims 1) to gather data about treatment adherence levels among adolescents (11-21 years) with HIV and 2) to obtain information about the adolescents and mothers' health beliefs and examine their relationship to the adolescents' adherence levels. This pilot study is designed to gather preliminary data about the feasibility of using several new measures with this population. To achieve these aims, a convenience sample of approximately 45 adolescents with HIV will be recruited. The adolescents and their mothers will complete a brief questionnaire about their health beliefs. A 24-hour recall interview format will be used to assess the adolescents' treatment adherence to prescribed oral medication. The adolescent will complete recall interviews on three random days over a two week period. Data analysis will be primarily descriptive, but will be used to generate more specific hypotheses for future research studies. The long-term goal of this research is to better identify adolescents with HIV at risk for non-adherence and design empirically derived interventions to improve their adherence levels. The health beliefs measure may also be useful in identifying irrational beliefs about the illness or treatment that can then be targeted for cognitive restructing in psychological interventions.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment: 45

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Subjects must be between the ages of 11 and 21 years.

Subjects must be diagnosed with HIV for at least one year (to ensure sufficient opportunity to experience living with a chronic condition such that adherence level is unlikely to be the result of skill or knowledge deficits).

Subjects must be prescribed oral medications (e.g., pills, liquids, inhaler) to be taken on a daily basis.

Subjects must be living with same female caregiver for at least one year.

Subjects must have a telephone number where he/she can be contacted during the two weeks after recruitment.

The adolescent and mother must be able to provide informed consent.

Adolescents must not have mental retardation or developmental delay that would prevent the adolescent from reading and comprehending the questionnaire.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Freund A, Johnson SB, Silverstein J, Thomas J. Assessing daily management of childhood diabetes using 24-hour recall interviews: reliability and stability. Health Psychol. 1991;10(3):200-8. doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.10.3.200.
• Tamaroff MH, Festa RS, Adesman AR, Walco GA. Therapeutic adherence to oral medication regimens by adolescents with cancer. II. Clinical and psychologic correlates. J Pediatr. 1992 May;120(5):812-7. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(05)80257-4.
• Becker MH, Maiman LA. Sociobehavioral determinants of compliance with health and medical care recommendations. Med Care. 1975 Jan;13(1):10-24. doi: 10.1097/00005650-197501000-00002.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 1998
• Study Completion: March 1, 2000

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 1999
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 9, 2002
• First Posted (Estimate): December 10, 2002

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 4, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 3, 2008
• Last Verified: June 1, 1999

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: HIV; AIDS; Compliance; Teenagers; Medication; Perceived Threat
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Infections; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; Immune System Diseases; Slow Virus Diseases; HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
• Other Study ID Numbers: 980121; 98-C-0121