Meta-Analysis
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Meta-Anal. Aug 26, 2014; 2(3): 71-77
Published online Aug 26, 2014. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v2.i3.71
Interventions to improve treatment adherence among adolescents: A meta-analysis
Tricia A Miller, Brittany L Bannon, M Robin DiMatteo
Tricia A Miller, Brittany L Bannon, M Robin DiMatteo, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92507, United States
Author contributions: Miller TA and DiMatteo MR were responsible for the conception and design of the study; Miller TA and Bannon BL collected the data, organized, and coded relevant empirical articles; Miller TA and Bannon BL statistically analyzed the data and performed moderator analysis; Miller TA and Bannon BL drafted the manuscript with critical revisions performed by DiMatteo MR.
Correspondence to: Tricia A Miller, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507, United States. trishmiller122@gmail.com
Telephone: +1-951-8275243 Fax: +1-951-8273985
Received: November 29, 2013
Revised: April 17, 2014
Accepted: July 17, 2014
Published online: August 26, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: Estimates of nonadherence among the adolescent population range from 25%-70%, depending on the disease or condition. Intervention components in patient samples vary widely across studies; thus, it is important to systematically identify elements of interventions that are most effective. Meta-analytic techniques were used in this study to provide a comprehensive, quantitative summary of empirical studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving treatment adherence among adolescents. This meta-analysis showed that interventions were effective, specifically when the type of regimen was behavioral, whereas cognitive-based interventions were less effective.