Brief report: assessing adherence to pediatric antiretroviral regimens using the 24-hour recall interview.

OBJECTIVE Examine the 24-hr Recall Interview (24RI) for assessing children's antiretroviral medication adherence. METHODS Caregivers of 54 children with HIV (aged 2-12 years) completed a clinical adherence interview and the 24RI by telephone. Children's viral load and 3-month pharmacy records were obtained. RESULTS Thirty-seven percent of children missed > or = 1 dose of medicine over 3 days. In 22% of the samples, adherence varied across medications. The 24RI adherence scores (Frequency, Interval, and Dietary Adherence) were moderately reliable across the three interviews. Pharmacy refill rates were significantly related to viral load, and 24RI barriers were marginally significantly related to viral load. CONCLUSIONS The 24RI, with its systematic, cued recall, and decreased focus on adherence, may reduce socially desirable responding compared to other self-report methods, and reporting adherence barriers may indicate adherence difficulty. However, the validity of the 24RI must be improved to make it a useful measure to include in an adherence assessment battery.