Caregivers' knowledge and medication adherence in children with thyroid disorders: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Health Education

Background:

• Thyroid disorders in children require long-term management.
• Parental understanding is critical for treatment adherence.
• Assessing parental knowledge and adherence is vital for effective pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate parental knowledge of pediatric thyroid disorders.
• To assess medication adherence in children with thyroid conditions.
• To identify factors influencing adherence and knowledge levels.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 102 children (≤18 years) with thyroid disorders.
• Parental data collected via interviews using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) and a knowledge questionnaire.
• Exploratory analysis of relationships between knowledge, adherence, and clinical parameters.

Main Results:

• 91.2% of parents demonstrated poor knowledge of thyroid disease and its management.
• Despite poor knowledge, medication adherence was high (>80%) based on the ARMS scale.
• Lower parental education significantly correlated with poorer disease knowledge (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Parental knowledge regarding pediatric thyroid disorders is inadequate and linked to educational attainment.
• Clear communication and enhanced patient education are necessary to improve parental understanding.
• Healthcare providers must actively assess and address knowledge and adherence gaps in caregivers.