Treatment Adherence and Peer Relationships of Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (2012)
Undergraduates: BreAnne Allen, none none none
Faculty Advisor: Mitch Prinstein
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience
Adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) have been shown to have low rates of treatment adherence, which is critical for their survival, and yet little is known about the barriers to treatment adherence for this population. Although peer relationships have been identified as barriers to adherence in similar chronic disease populations, the unique restrictions placed on interactions between adolescents with CF suggests that peers with and without CF may uniquely influence adherence. The present study explored the influence of relationships with friends with CF and without CF on treatment adherence. Adolescents with CF (N = 42) and their parents (N = 39) completed questionnaires assessing treatment adherence and friendship characteristics at two time points. Findings indicated that friendship duration and negative friendship qualities for friends without CF predicted treatment adherence. Additionally, adherence was associated with the number of friends without CF for female adolescents. These findings suggest that particular aspects of peer relationships do influence rates of treatment adherence for adolescents with CF. _x000D_