8.2.3

Question 1

What are some strategies to improve adherence in children?

Answer 1

» Simple regime » Pleasant-tasting medicine » Easy-to-take liquids rather than tablets » Text message reminders for older children » Regular phone contact with parents » Involving children fully with treatment plans, considering their concerns (Benn, 2014).

Question 2

What is a spacer device for asthma?

Answer 2

Spacer devices are plastic containers with a mouthpiece or mask at one end and a space to insert an asthma inhaler at the other end. They help deliver medication effectively but can be scary for children.

Question 3

What is the Funhaler?

Answer 3

The Funhaler is a spacer device based on operant conditioning principles. It rewards children with spinners and a whistle if they use the device correctly, encouraging repeated use.

Question 4

What was the aim of Chaney et al. (2004)?

Answer 4

To compare the Funhaler device to currently used spacer devices in managing asthma in young children.

Question 5

What was the methodology of Chaney et al. (2004)?

Answer 5

» 32 children aged 1.5–6 years old diagnosed with asthma were recruited. » Parents were interviewed by questionnaire about their child’s current asthma device. » The Funhaler was used for two weeks, and parents were contacted randomly. » A second questionnaire was completed after the trial.

Question 6

What were the conclusions of Chaney et al. (2004)?

Answer 6

» The Funhaler could improve clinical outcomes in children. » Behaviourist theories like operant conditioning are effective in increasing children’s adherence to medication.

Question 7

What is a behavioural contract?

Answer 7

A verbal or written agreement between a patient and practitioner regarding a treatment regime. It can improve short-term adherence but is not effective in the long term (Neale, 1991; Bosch-Capblanch et al., 2007).

Question 8

What did Bosch-Capblanch et al. (2007) find about behavioural contracts?

Answer 8

Research into contract effectiveness was small-scale and poorly executed, lowering the validity of results.

Question 9

What are prompts in healthcare?

Answer 9

Texts, phone calls, or letter reminders for medication or appointments. They are convenient, cost-effective, and acceptable to patients (Schwebel and Larimer, 2018).

Question 10

What is a limitation of text message prompts?

Answer 10

Not everyone uses text messages. Elderly patients may not find them beneficial.

Question 11

What is customising treatment?

Answer 11

Tailoring treatment to fit the patient’s ability and lifestyle. Heath et al. (2015) used intervention mapping to target desired behaviours using behavioural techniques.

Question 12

What did Lakhanpaul et al. (2020) study?

Answer 12

They used intervention mapping to improve South-East Asian families’ understanding of asthma.

Question 13

What are the drawbacks of customising treatment?

Answer 13

» Costly due to time investment. » Counterproductive if not conducted with cultural sensitivity.

Question 14

What was the context of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 14

Preventable diseases like polio and whooping cough killed over five million children worldwide. The study aimed to increase immunisation adherence.

Question 15

What was the aim of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 15

To evaluate the impact of four conditions on motivating parents to have children immunised.

Question 16

What were the independent variables in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 16

1. General prompt 2. Specific prompt with dates, times, and locations 3. Specific prompt with extended clinic hours, drinks, movies, and snacks 4. Specific prompt with monetary incentive.

Question 17

What were the dependent variables in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 17

1. Number of children receiving immunisations 2. Number of children attending the clinic 3. Total number of immunisations received.

Question 18

What were the controlled variables in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 18

1. Contact control group (received a general call) 2. No contact control group 3. Families with two or more immune-deficient pre-schoolers were assigned together.

Question 19

What was the sample in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 19

715 pre-school immune-deficient children; 50% female, 64% white.

Question 20

What was the procedure in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 20

Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. After two months, a lottery was drawn for the monetary incentive group. A follow-up occurred after three months.

Question 21

What were the ethical concerns in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 21

Parents did not consent to participate, were unaware of behaviour manipulation, and monetary incentives raised ethical questions.

Question 22

What was an ethical strength in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 22

Control groups received a specific prompt letter after the study, ensuring no group was disadvantaged.

Question 23

What were the conclusions of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 23

» Behavioural incentives are effective in motivating parents to immunise children. » A single general prompt is not enough.

Question 24

What is the experimental method’s strength in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 24

Random assignment of participants reduced bias, increasing validity.

Question 25

What is a limitation of Chaney et al. (2004) in terms of generalisability?

Answer 25

The study involved only 32 Australian children, which is not representative of the wider population.

Question 26

What is a limitation of Yokley and Glenwick (1984) in terms of generalisability?

Answer 26

The final sample was 36.9% less than the original, and findings may not apply to other regions or countries.

Question 27

What is a strength of Yokley and Glenwick (1984) in terms of reliability?

Answer 27

Standardised procedures were used, making the research replicable.

Question 28

What is a limitation of Chaney et al. (2004) in terms of validity?

Answer 28

Parents may have put in extra effort to ensure adherence, lowering the validity of results.

Question 29

What is an ethical consideration in Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 29

Although children were used, the focus was on parental behaviour. Control groups received follow-up reminders to ensure no disadvantage.

Question 30

What is an ethical consideration in Chaney et al. (2004)?

Answer 30

The research took place in children’s homes with full parental permission and minimal researcher contact, meeting all ethical standards.

Question 31

What are the real-world applications of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 31

Incentivised programmes can increase immunisation rates in areas with low adherence and returning preventable diseases.

Question 32

What is operant conditioning in the context of the Funhaler?

Answer 32

Children are rewarded with spinners and a whistle for using the Funhaler correctly, making them more likely to repeat the behaviour.

Question 33

What is intervention mapping?

Answer 33

A method to tailor treatment by understanding why and how a patient needs to change, using behavioural techniques like operant conditioning (Heath et al., 2015).

Question 34

What did Schwebel and Larimer (2018) find about prompts?

Answer 34

Prompts are beneficial, convenient, cost-effective, and acceptable to patients, based on a review of 162 studies.

Question 35

What is a limitation of behavioural contracts?

Answer 35

They are not effective in the long term (Bosch-Capblanch et al., 2007).

Question 36

What is a strength of Chaney et al. (2004)?

Answer 36

The Funhaler improved adherence in young children, demonstrating the effectiveness of operant conditioning.

Question 37

What is a limitation of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 37

The study’s generalisability is limited due to the sample size reduction and regional focus.

Question 38

What is a strength of Yokley and Glenwick (1984)?

Answer 38

The study demonstrated the effectiveness of behavioural incentives in increasing immunisation rates.

Question 39

What is a limitation of customising treatment?

Answer 39

It can be costly and counterproductive if cultural differences are not considered.

Question 40

What is a strength of customising treatment?

Answer 40

It improves adherence by tailoring treatment to the patient’s lifestyle and abilities (Heath et al., 2015).

Question 41

What is a limitation of using text message prompts?

Answer 41

Elderly patients may not benefit from text messages, limiting their effectiveness.

Question 42

What is a strength of using prompts?

Answer 42

They are cost-effective and widely accepted by patients (Schwebel and Larimer, 2018).