1. Treatment adherence among adolescents with epilepsy: What really matters?
- Author
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Carbone, Loretta, Zebrack, Bradley, Plegue, Melissa, Joshi, Sucheta, and Shellhaas, Renée
- Subjects
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EPILEPSY , *PATIENT compliance , *EMPIRICAL research , *LOCUS (Genetics) , *TREATMENT of epilepsy , *DISEASES in teenagers - Abstract
Abstract: Treatment adherence is often suboptimal among adolescents with epilepsy. However, knowledge is lacking regarding factors that affect adherence. Empirical studies and theories of human development suggest that self-management skills, self-efficacy, and sense of control are related to adherence. Eighty-eight adolescents with epilepsy, and their parents, completed standardized measures assessing epilepsy knowledge and expectations, treatment self-management, sense of control, and self-efficacy. Better self-reported parent adherence was correlated with greater epilepsy knowledge/expectations (p<0.001) and more medications (p=0.042). Better self-reported adolescent adherence was correlated with fewer siblings (p=0.003) and higher adolescent epilepsy knowledge/expectations (p<0.001). Greater adolescent epilepsy knowledge/expectations correlated with parent self-reported adherence (p<0.001), Powerful others locus of control (p=0.008), and adolescent/parent discordance regarding epilepsy knowledge/expectations (p<0.001). Interventions that enhance adolescent''s knowledge of epilepsy and their treatment plan, while ensuring that teens and parents are in agreement with regard to epilepsy treatment, might contribute to better adherence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2013
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