Commentary: Longitudinal Observational Research Informs Child Health Research

Patient Health Beliefs and Characteristics Predict Longitudinal Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in Adolescents With CKD

Objective

To investigate longitudinal associations of health beliefs, which included self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and perceived barriers, and demographic risk factors (i.e., age, gender, race, and family income) with antihypertensive medication adherence in adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) over 24 months.

Method

The sample included 114 adolescents (M age = 15.03 years, SD = 2.44) diagnosed with CKD. Adolescents reported their self-efficacy for taking medications, medication outcome expectancies, and barriers to adherence at baseline and 12 and 24 months after baseline. Antihypertensive medication adherence was assessed via electronic monitoring for 2 weeks at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after baseline.

Results

Adherence increased and then decreased over the 2-year study period (inverted U-shape). Self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and barriers did not change over time. Older adolescent age, female gender, African American race, <$50,000 annual family income, and public health insurance were associated with lower adherence. However, family income was the primary demographic risk factor that predicted adherence over time (≥$50,000 annual family income was longitudinally associated with higher adherence). Higher self-efficacy and more positive and less negative outcome expectancies across time were also associated with higher antihypertensive medication adherence across time.

Conclusions

Clinical interventions should be developed to target medication self-efficacy and outcome expectancies to improve long-term antihypertensive medication adherence in adolescents with CKD. Family income may be considered when conceptualizing contextual factors that likely contribute to adolescents' consistent challenges with medication adherence over time.

Adolescent-Parent Dyadic Retention in an Interview Study and Changes in Willingness to Participate in a Hypothetical Microbicide Safety Study

STUDY OBJECTIVE

In this study we describe adolescent and parent retention and changes in willingness to participate (WTP) in research among adolescents, parents, and adolescent-parent dyads.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Adolescent-parent dyads were recruited to participate in a longitudinal study to assess research participation attitudes using simultaneous individual interviews of the adolescent and parent with a return visit 1 year later using the same interview.

PARTICIPANTS

Adolescents (14-17 years old) and their parents.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The relationship between participant characteristics and dyad retention was assessed. WTP was measured on a Likert scale and dichotomized (willing/unwilling) to assess changes in WTP attitudes over time for adolescents, parents, and dyads.

RESULTS

Eighty-three percent of the 300 dyads were retained. Dyads in which there was successful contact with the parent before follow-up were more likely to be retained (odds ratio, 4.88; 95% confidence interval, 2.57-9.26). For adolescents at baseline, 59% were willing to participate and 55% were willing to participate at follow-up (McNemar S = 0.91; P = .34). For parents at baseline, 51% were willing to participate and 57% were willing to participate at follow-up (McNemar S = 5.12; P = .02). For dyads at baseline, 57% were concordant (in either direction) and 70% of dyads were concordant at follow-up (McNemar S = 10.56; P = .001).

CONCLUSION

Over 1 year, parent contact might positively influence successful adolescent retention. Parents become more willing to let their adolescents participate over time, with dyads becoming more concordant about research participation.

Management of Adolescent-Parent Dyads' Discordance for Willingness to Participate in a Reproductive Health Clinical Trial

The objective of this study is to understand the resolution of discordance between adolescent-parent dyads about participation in research. Adolescent (14-17 years) and parent dyads were recruited from NYC pediatric clinics to assess attitudes toward research participation. A subset of dyads participated in videotaped discussions about participation in a hypothetical study. Videos from dyads that held strongly discordant opinions about participation ( n = 30) were content-coded and analyzed using a thematic framework approach. Strategies used to resolve discordance included asserting authority, granting autonomy, or recognizing inaccurate assumptions using a variety of communication behaviors. Missed opportunities to enroll initially discordant dyads may be avoided by allowing time for adolescents and parents to elicit information, clarify a situation, or convince the other.