Factors associated with adherence to drug therapy: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate adherence to prescription in a female population aged 35-65 years.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire study of 2991 randomly sampled 35- to 64-year-old women in seven provinces of central Sweden.


METHODS
The study was performed in 1995 as a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study in seven counties in central Sweden. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 4200 women between the ages of 35 and 64, of whom 2991 (71.2%) responded. The questionnaire asked about drugs prescribed during the past year and about factors potentially affecting adherence.


RESULTS
The same women had different degrees of adherence to different medications. A large number of factors were associated with adherence. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, scheduled check-up, perceived importance of medication, concerns about medication safety and taking medication for a respiratory or a cardiovascular disease were significantly related to adherence. Adherence ranged from 15-98% depending on these factors, and was the lowest among young women who regarded their medication as unimportant and who had no scheduled check-up; the highest reported adherence was found among elderly women who regarded their medication as important and who had a scheduled check-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Factors that were associated with the perceived importance of medication had a positive effect on adherence, while concerns about medication safety had a negative effect.
Bardel
Annika
A
Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology Section, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala Science Park, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden. annika.bardel@pubcare.uu.se
Wallander
Mari-Ann
MA
Svärdsudd
Kurt
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires