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Brief report: assessing adherence to pediatric antiretroviral regimens using the 24-hour recall interview.

Marhefka SL, Tepper VJ, Farley JJ, Sleasman JW, Mellins CA

HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, New York 10032, USA. sm2443@columbia.edu

OBJECTIVE: Examine the 24-hr Recall Interview (24RI) for assessing children's antiretroviral medication adherence. METHODS: Caregivers of 54 children with HIV (aged 2-12 years) completed a clinical adherence interview and the 24RI by telephone. Children's viral load and 3-month pharmacy records were obtained. RESULTS: Thirty-seven percent of children missed > or = 1 dose of medicine over 3 days. In 22% of the samples, adherence varied across medications. The 24RI adherence scores (Frequency, Interval, and Dietary Adherence) were moderately reliable across the three interviews. Pharmacy refill rates were significantly related to viral load, and 24RI barriers were marginally significantly related to viral load. CONCLUSIONS: The 24RI, with its systematic, cued recall, and decreased focus on adherence, may reduce socially desirable responding compared to other self-report methods, and reporting adherence barriers may indicate adherence difficulty. However, the validity of the 24RI must be improved to make it a useful measure to include in an adherence assessment battery.

Published 5 September 2006 in J Pediatr Psychol, 31(9): 989-94.
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