Predictors of adherence to treatment for latent tuberculosis infection in high-risk Latino adolescents: a behavioral epidemiological analysis

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 56; no. 8; pp. 1789 - 1796
• Main Authors: Hovell, Melbourne, Blumberg, Elaine, Gil-Trejo, Laura, Vera, Alicia, Kelley, Norma, Sipan, Carol, Hofstetter, C.Richard, Marshall, Sandra, Berg, Jill, Friedman, Lawrence, Catanzaro, Antonino, Moser, Kathleen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2003; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adherence; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - ethnology; Adolescents; Adolescents Latino Medication adherence Predictors Tuberculosis > latent USA; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antitubercular Agents - administration & dosage; Behavioural epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; California; Counseling; Female; Health; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Humans; Interviews; Isoniazid; Isoniazid - administration & dosage; Latin American people; Latino; Male; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Medication adherence; Medicine; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - pathogenicity; Patient Compliance - ethnology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Predictors; Premedication; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk; Risk-Taking; Self Efficacy; Social sciences; Social support; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); Teenagers; Treatment; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis - ethnology; Tuberculosis - microbiology; Tuberculosis - prevention & control; Tuberculosis—latent; U.S.A; USA; United States; North America; America; California; United States > US; San Diego County California; Medication adherence; USA; Adolescents; Tuberculosis—latent; Latino; Predictors; Human; Performance evaluation; Lung disease; Statistical analysis; Respiratory disease; Lung; Mycobacterial infection; Latinamerican; Latino: Medication adherence; Infection; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Tuberculosis; Adolescent; Bacteriosis; Treatment compliance; Tuberculosis-latent; Predictive factor; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00176-4

The objective was to test whether theoretical variables predict adherence to treatment for latent tuberculosis infection in high-risk Latino adolescents. 286 Latino adolescents, age 13–18 years, were recruited from 10 middle/high schools in San Diego County, San Diego, USA. Participants completed a baseline interview and up to 9 monthly interviews. The cumulative number of pills consumed in 9 months was regressed on 16 independent variables, entered hierarchically in seven blocks. The final model accounted for 25% of the variance in adherence to isoniazid (INH), F (16, 230)=4.69, p<0.001. Adherence counseling (+), age (–), grades (+), being bicultural (+), and risk behaviors (–) were significantly related to adherence. Learning theories presume that adherence to medical regimens requires social support and freedom from physical and social barriers. Results support these theories. Future studies should explore additional precepts in order to identify additional predictors and to maximize adherence to INH among Latino adolescents and other high-risk populations. Doing so should decrease the risk of active TB among high-risk racial/ethnic and foreign-born populations.