title: Multiple drug regimens: medication compliance among veterans 65 years and older.
abstract: In this study we attempted to develop a profile that could be used prospectively to identify veterans over 64 years of age who might be at risk for medication noncompliance. Male veterans (N = 249) having from one to seven oral daily prescribed medications were studied. Instruments administered to determine their relationship to compliance were the Paired-Associate Test, the Mini Mental State, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, and the Standard Depression Scale. Compliance was determined by a pill count made at two home visits. Seventy-three percent of the subjects were noncompliant. Variables significantly related to noncompliance by bi-variate analysis were included in the stepwise logistic regression to develop a predictive model of noncompliance. Ethnicity and number of daily prescribed pills were the only significant variables in the final model. The model correctly classified the subjects as compliant/noncompliant in 77% of the cases. Discussions during home interviews revealed a number of common problems.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio School of Nursing 78284-7948.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Graveley
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oseasohn
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology*