The effect of a cultural intervention on adherence to latent tuberculosis infection therapy in Latino immigrants

Public Health Nurs. 2010 Mar-Apr;27(2):115-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00834.x.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a cultural intervention (CI) on increasing adherence to latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) therapy among Latino immigrants.

Design and sample: This clinical study used a preexperimental design. A nonprobability sample of 86 Latino immigrant clients who were starting LTBI therapy were enrolled in the intervention. The comparison group was an historical sample of 131 clients' records randomly selected from the previous year.

Intervention: The CI, designed by the principal investigator, was delivered by 2 Spanish-speaking interventionist nurses at each of 9 clinic visits. The intervention was based on Latino cultural values and included 5 components.

Measures: The patients' adherence was measured by a self-report of the number of pills taken.

Results: The findings of this study were that clients in the CI group took a significantly greater number of doses of INH than those in the historical sample.

Conclusions: Using a CI to increase adherence to LTBI therapy shows promise for public health nursing practice.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Communication
  • Cultural Competency / organization & administration
  • Emigrants and Immigrants* / education
  • Emigrants and Immigrants* / psychology
  • Family / ethnology
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Hispanic or Latino* / education
  • Hispanic or Latino* / ethnology
  • Humans
  • Latent Tuberculosis / drug therapy
  • Latent Tuberculosis / ethnology*
  • Latent Tuberculosis / nursing
  • Male
  • Medication Adherence / ethnology*
  • Multilingualism
  • Nursing Evaluation Research
  • Patient Education as Topic / organization & administration*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Public Health Nursing / organization & administration*
  • Social Values
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Virginia

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents