The reliability of reports of medical adherence from children with HIV and their adult caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To compare children's reports of their medication adherence to those of their adult caregivers.


METHODS
Several indicators of medication adherence were assessed for 48 adult-child dyads. Kappa statistics were calculated as measures of agreement.


RESULTS
Adherence problems were common, although the level of agreement between the child and the adult was quite low (kappas for adherence variables ranged from .05 to .32). Compared to adult-child dyads that agreed, dyads that disagreed tended to include older children who had more responsibility for managing their own medications.


CONCLUSIONS
Both researchers and clinicians would benefit from acquiring information on children's adherence from multiple sources.
Dolezal
Curtis
C
New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit # 15, New York, New York 10032, USA. dolezalc@childpsych.columbia.edu
Mellins
Claude
C
Brackis-Cott
Elizabeth
E
Abrams
Elaine J
EJ
D000293:Adolescent; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014342:Truth Disclosure
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents