G. Alperstein et al., COMPLIANCE WITH ANTITUBERCULOSIS PREVENTIVE THERAPY AMONG 6-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN, Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 22(2), 1998, pp. 210-213
There are no published data regarding compliance with anti-tuberculosi
s preventive therapy among children in Australia and limited published
data worldwide. This study aimed to determine the compliance rate amo
ng 6-year-old children prescribed preventive therapy for tuberculosis
infection. A prospective cohort study was conducted on 78, 6-year-old
children prescribed anti-tuberculosis preventive therapy. Compliance w
as measured by compliance with prescribed preventive therapy as report
ed by parents who were administered questionnaires on completion of th
e course. In a subsample of 44 children, the proportion of children wh
o complied with scheduled visits to the hospital, and pharmacy records
of isoniazid dispensed were used as measures of compliance. Questionn
aire data indicated a reported compliance rate for completion of the 6
-month course of preventive therapy of 70.5% (55 children). For those
55 who reported completing the full course, 91% reported missing less
than 1 tablet per week. In the subsample of 44 children, only 59% atte
nded all follow-up clinic visits, and 54% collected all 6 months of is
oniazid prescribed. Compliance with anti-tuberculosis preventive thera
py is suboptimal. Improved methods to measure compliance and strategie
s to optimise compliance with preventive therapy is required.