Self-report INH adherence measures were reliable and valid in Latino adolescents with latent tuberculosis infection

• Published in: Journal of clinical epidemiology 2005-06, Vol.58 (6), p.645-648
• Main Authors: Blumberg, Elaine J., Hovell, Melbourne F., Kelley, Norma J., Vera, Alicia Y., Sipan, Carol L., Berg, Jill P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescents; Antitubercular Agents - administration & dosage; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Correlation coefficient; Disclosure - standards; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; INH; Interviews; Isoniazid - administration & dosage; Latinos; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolites; Methodology; Patient Compliance; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reliability; Reproducibility of Results; Schools; Self-report adherence measures; Studies; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Validity
• ISSN: 0895-4356; 1878-5921
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2004.11.022

To test the reliability and validity of 8-day and 30-day self-report measures of adherence to daily isoniazid (INH) for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Participants were 286 Latino adolescents (ages 13–18, 55.6% male) with LTBI recruited from 10 public middle and high schools in San Diego County. INH adherence was measured monthly for up to 9 months by interview and urine specimens at unannounced visits. Reliability and validity analyses were performed within 5 consecutive months. Reliability was assessed by correlating: (1) 8- and 30-day INH adherence measures within each month; and (2) each of the two adherence measures across months. Validity was assessed by correlating reported measures with biological assays within each month. Reliability tests yielded significant correlation coefficients ( p < .05 to .001), both across measures ( r = 0.71–0.93) and across time ( r = 0.29–0.64 for 8-day recall; r = 0.32–0.69 for 30-day recall). Validity tests of both adherence measures were also significant ( p < .05 to .001): 8-day recall ( r pb = 0.52–0.72) and 30-day recall ( r pb = 0.37–0.71). Results suggest that impromptu recall measures of INH adherence, combined with urine collection, are reliable and valid in Latino adolescents.