Self-reported adherence behavior in adolescent hypertensive patients: the role of illness representations and personality.
OBJECTIVE
This exploratory study examined the role that illness representations and personality play in the various adherence behaviors of adolescents diagnosed with essential hypertension.


METHODS
The participants were 97 hypertensive adolescents. They completed self-report questionnaires pertaining to (1) demographic and medical data, (2) adherence, (3) illness representations, and (4) personality. Medical charts were also assessed.


RESULTS
The hierarchical regression analyses indicated that: (1) conscientiousness, agreeableness, and perception of treatment effectiveness account for a significant amount of variance in general adherence; (2) perception of treatment effectiveness is predictive of overall specific adherence; and (3) for adherence to most of the individual specific regimen recommendations, illness representations are more predictive compared to personality dimensions.


CONCLUSIONS
The personality domains of conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and illness representation dimensions (treatment control, concern, and emotional burden) were shown to predict adherence behaviors in adolescent hypertensive patients differentially. Study implications and limitations are discussed.
Zugelj
Urska
U
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. urska.zugelj@ff.uni-lj.si
Zupancic
Maja
M
Komidar
Luka
L
Kenda
Rajko
R
Varda
Natasa Marcun
NM
Gregoric
Alojz
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents