Effect of Personal and Cultural Beliefs on Medication Adherence in the Elderly

Abstract

Approximately 50% of patients across all age groups with varied types of medical conditions do not adhere to their prescribed medication regimens. Medication nonadherence is common in older adults who are often prescribed medications for age-related chronic disorders. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of personal and cultural beliefs on older adults' medication adherence through a review of research studies published in journals across different disciplines. A systematic literature search using ten databases found 14 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Belief-laden variables including self-efficacy (i.e. the belief that one can perform a specific behaviour under differing conditions), medication efficacy, confidence in the physician's knowledge, perceptions about natural products and home remedies, beliefs of control (over one's health), and illness perceptions were found to be significantly related to medication adherence among older adults. However, several measurement, design and sampling problems were identified in this review. The majority of the studies in the review evaluated older adults' medication adherence by self-report and used cross-sectional designs and convenience samples. Future studies should utilise prospective longitudinal designs and a more objective measure of medication adherence, such as electronic event monitoring, when examining factors related to older adults' medication adherence. Future research should also evaluate belief-related variables in larger and more ethnically diverse samples of older adults. Implications for assessment and intervention are evident from this literature review of the effect of personal and cultural beliefs on medication adherence in older adults.

A Systematic Review of Factors Influencing Medication Adherence to Hypertension Treatment in Developing Countries

“…In spite of the need for research on health systems, little attention has also been given to the role of local health systems in the delivery of care for the control of hypertension. Moreover, belief-laden factors including confidence in the physician's knowledge or ability, belief of control over one's health and illness perception were all found to be significantly related to medication adherence in developed countries [74]. Studies in developing countries especially at community settings on these factors influencing adherence would be helpful to address the knowledge gap and contribute to global strategies for addressing non-compliance among hypertensive patients.…”

Proceedings of the Iii International Scientific and Practical Conference “Psychological Health of the Person: Life Resource and Life Potential”

“…But even so there are studies that focus on patients' subjective understanding of their health, disease, and patients' perceived control over their health condition, and efficacy of the therapy (e.g., De Wit et al, 2016). It is believed that with regard to chronic diseases, the perceived effectiveness of the treatment, a good contact between the physician and the patient, as well as minimal perceived control over the therapeutic process are reliable factors in adherent behaviour support (Chia et al, 2006). A similar interrelation has been revealed among patients with CVD: the importance of perceived benefits of the treatment and subjective treatment limitations for the adherence has been noted (Joho, 2012), and an inverse correlation between the patients' perception of control over their blood pressure and taking prescription drugs has been shown (Patel, Taylor, 2002).…”

The Challenges of Oral Agents as Antineoplastic Treatments

“…19 Piette and colleagues 18,20 examined regimen complexity, sociodemographic characteristics such as living alone and distance from children, disease characteristics and comorbidities, and trust with clinicians that influence medication adherence. Dunbar-Jacob and colleagues [21][22][23] examine the sociodemographic (age, education, marital status, ethnicity, income, and insurance), psychosocial (depression, personality traits, optimism, and emotion expressiveness), health status (smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, and cancer or heart disease), and procedural factors (pill type, changes in pills, and clinic site). Given and colleagues 24 used a cognitive behavioral model in an educational approach to symptom management coupled with reminders to take medications in a trial on oral antineoplastic agent adherence.…”

“…There is some evidence that adherence correlates with a patient's belief in the severity of the disease to be prevented or treated, 23,40,41 thus one would expect all cancer patients to adhere. Patient perceptions about their illness strongly influenced adherence in cancer patients, consequently affecting the patients' motivation, and ultimately, the ability of the oral antineoplastic agents to effectively manage the disease.…”