A Comparative Study of Caregivers' Knowledge, Understanding, and Medication Adherence to Methylphenidate Use in ADHD Children Pre- and Post-Intervention, and the Differences by Personal Factors
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Abstract
This study aimed to compare the knowledge, understanding, and medication adherence of caregivers in administering methylphenidate to children pre and post education, and to examine the differences by personal factors. Methods: This research employed a quasi-experimental research design, specifically a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The sample consisted of 50 caregivers of children receiving methylphenidate at Mae Chan Hospital, Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province. The research procedure began with the pretest data collection using a questionnaire to assess the caregivers' knowledge, understanding, and medication adherence. This was followed by the intervention, where education on the proper use of methylphenidate was provided to the sample group. Finally, posttest data collection was conducted using the same questionnaire. All data collection procedures took place between June and July 2025. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, median, and interquartile range (IQR), were used to summarize the data. The Shapiro–Wilk test was employed to check for the normality of data distribution. Non-parametric tests were then applied for all comparisons: the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for paired comparison, and the Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis H-test was applied for inter-group comparisons, as appropriate. Results: The median scores for all three variables increased significantly after the educational intervention (p < 0.001). Specifically, the caregivers' median scores increased as follows: Knowledge rose from 3.00 to 4.00 (out of 5), Understanding saw a notable rise from 1.00 to 5.00 (out of 5), and Medication Adherence increased from 5.50 to 7.00 (out of 8). Furthermore, the analysis of differences based on personal factors revealed several findings: Knowledge scores after the intervention were significantly different across educational levels (p = 0.027); specifically, caregivers with higher education levels demonstrated significantly greater post-intervention knowledge scores. A significant difference was found in Understanding before the intervention based on educational level (p = 0.015); furthermore, the primary education group demonstrated significantly greater post-intervention Understanding scores. Similarly, the occupational group showed a significant difference in Understanding after the intervention (p = 0.042) with the general laborer group demonstrating greater Understanding scores. A significant difference was found in Medication Adherence before the intervention based on gender (p = 0.027), with male caregivers demonstrating greater post-intervention adherence. Conclusion: Providing education to caregivers effectively improved their knowledge, understanding, and adherence in administering methylphenidate to children.
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