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Parent perceptions of problems experienced by their children in complying with treatments for juvenile rheumatoid
Insights
Parents reported that children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) experienced more challenges with physical therapy exercises and splinting than with medications. Many parents struggled to accurately assess their child's treatment adherence.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Chronic Disease Management
- Patient Compliance
Background:
- Parents play a crucial role in ensuring treatment adherence for children with chronic conditions like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).
- Understanding parental perceptions of compliance challenges is vital for developing effective support strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental perceptions of problems children face in complying with JRA treatment regimens.
- To identify common difficulties and parental assessment methods regarding JRA treatment compliance.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 37 parents of children diagnosed with JRA.
- The survey focused on the frequency and types of compliance problems encountered by children.
- Parental methods for assessing their child's compliance were also investigated.
Main Results:
- Parents reported greater difficulties with range of motion exercises and splint wearing compared to medication adherence.
- Common negative reactions from children included complaining, crying, forgetting, and outright noncompliance.
- Approximately 50% of parents relied solely on their child's self-report or had vague methods for assessing compliance.
Conclusions:
- Compliance challenges in JRA are more pronounced with physical therapies than medications.
- Parental assessment of JRA treatment compliance is often indirect or imprecise.
- Targeted advice for parents on assessing and improving pediatric JRA compliance is needed.
Abstract:
Parents of children with chronic diseases, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), are responsible for insuring that their children comply with medical regimens. Assessing the perceptions parents have of problems their children experience in complying with treatment would be useful in advising them of how to help their children. In this study, a questionnaire assessing the frequency and type of problems children experienced in complying with treatments of JRA was completed by 37 parents. The parents reported more problems with range of motion exercises and splint wearing than with medications. The most common negative reactions exhibited by the children included complaining, crying, forgetting to do what was prescribed, and noncompliance. Additionally, nearly 50% of the parents relied on their child's report or were vague about how they assessed compliance. Suggestions for advising parents about how they can assess and improve compliance are offered in this report.
