Characteristics of Interaction Between Caregivers and Children with Chronic Diseases in Oral Medication-Taking Situations: A Validation Study of the Interaction Rating Scale.

Abstract

Introduction: Caregiver-child interaction is essential for maintaining adaptive oral medication-taking behavior in children. To evaluate interactive behavior between children and caregivers, the Interaction Rating Scale (IRS), an observation-based instrument for evaluating the quality of caregiver-child interaction, can be applied via observation of interactions. This study examined the applicability of the IRS in oral medication-taking situations.

Methods: Sixty-six caregiver-child dyads were evaluated using the IRS. The reliability of the measure was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency and intra-class coefficient (ICC) for inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability. The concurrent validity was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Parenting Scale and the Social Skills Scale for Preschool Children.

Results: The IRS total, caregiver, and child scores showed high internal consistency (α = 0.86-0.92), test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.76-0.80) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.86-0.91). The IRS indices were partially associated with the Positive and Negative Parenting Scale and Social Skills Scale scores in the hypothesized directions.

Discussion: The results indicated the IRS is a reliable and validated instrument for measuring characteristics of caregiver-child interactions in medication-taking situations. Further studies may be helpful for validating the measure in wider patient groups and investigating the medication behavior of children.