Abstract
Background: Medication adherence is a critical but challenging developmental task for children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV). Understanding how medication responsibility, executive functions (EFs) and adaptive functioning (AF) influence adherence may help prepare adolescents for transition to adulthood. Methods: Participants included PHIV children and adolescents 7-16 years of age enrolled in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Adolescent Master Protocol, who were prescribed antiretroviral medications. Measures included caregiver report and child self-report measures of adherence, medication responsibility and EF, caregiver report of child AF, examiner-administered tests of EF and processing speed and demographic and health characteristics. Results: Two hundred fifty-six participants with PHIV (mean age: 12 years old) were 51% female, 80% black and 79% non-Hispanic. Per 7-day recall, 72% were adherent (no missed doses). Children/adolescents self-reported that 22% had sole and 55% had shared medication responsibility. Adjusted logistic models revealed significantly higher odds of adherence with sole caregiver responsibility for medication [odds ratio (OR): 4.10, confidence interval (CI): 1.43-11.8, P = 0.009], child nadir CD4% <15% (OR: 2.26, CI: 1.15-4.43, P = 0.018), better self-reported behavioral regulation (OR: 0.65, CI: 0.44-0.96, P = 0.029) and slower processing speed (OR: 0.54, CI: 0.38-0.77, P < 0.001), adjusting for demographic variables (age, race and caregiver education). Conclusions: Among children and adolescents with PHIV, continued caregiver medication management, especially during adolescence, is essential. Although global EF and AF were not significantly associated with adherence, behavioral regulation was. Given that EF and AF develop throughout adolescence, their relationships to adherence should be evaluated longitudinally, especially as youth transition to adulthood and caregiver responsibility diminishes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 751-757 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2017 |
Funding
The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development with co-funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Office of AIDS Research, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, through cooperative agreements with the Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health (HD052102) (Principal Investigator: George Seage; Project Director: Julie Alperen) and the Tulane University School of Medicine (HD052104) (Principal Investigator: Russell van Dyke; Co-principal Investigator: Kenneth Rich; Project Director: Patrick Davis). Data management services were provided by Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation (Principal Investigator: Suzanne Siminski), and regulatory services and logistical support were provided by Westat, Inc (Principal Investigator: Julie Davidson).
Keywords
- adherence
- adolescents
- children
- executive functioning
- perinatal HIV
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
