title: The Relationship of Transition Readiness, Self-Efficacy, and Adherence to Preferred Health Learning Method by Youths with Chronic Conditions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health care transition preparation, medication adherence, and self-efficacy are important skills to achieve optimal health outcomes. It is unclear how pediatric patients with chronic conditions obtain health information that may impact the acquisition of these skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we determined the preferred sources/methods for health information among youths with chronic conditions and their relationship to health care transition readiness (STARx Questionnaire), self-efficacy (Iannotti's Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale), and medication adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). Youths with various chronic health conditions attending Victory Junction, a therapeutic camp, were invited to complete these online surveys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 160 youths with different chronic conditions from multiple institutions, ages 6 to 16 years participated. Most commonly preferred sources of medical information were family/parents (n=122, 76.3%) and health care providers (n=88, 55.0%). Youths who favored family/parents had the highest medication adherence rates. In turn, youths who favored health care providers over other sources, scored highest on self-efficacy and transition readiness of all groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our novel findings represent important areas of intervention to improve transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence. Ascertaining the patients' preferred method of learning about the disease and its management is important in order to customize and enhance health care transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Meredith A J
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Javalkar
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Tilburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Wake Forest, NC.
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haberman
authors.affiliation: Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Eniko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rak
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: maria_ferris@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ferris
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D060305:Transition to Adult Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adherence; Learning-method; Self-efficacy; Transition-readiness; Youth-chronic conditions