title: The relationship between quality of life and adherence to medication in glaucoma patients in Singapore.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (i) To evaluate the medication adherence rate of glaucoma patients in Singapore. (ii) To evaluate patients' quality of life status. (iii) To explore the factors related to patients' nonadherence to medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, prospective study, using interviewer-administered survey questionnaires. A total of 314 patients were interviewed altogether, of which 175 (55.7%) were male and 139 (44.3%) were female. (i) Patients' medication adherence was assessed using the Reported Adherence to Medication scale. (ii) Patients' beliefs about glaucoma and treatment were evaluated using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Beliefs about Medicine-Specific Questionnaire. (iii) Patients' quality of life was evaluated using Glaucoma Symptom Scale and The Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-two (19.7%) patients reported themselves to be adherent to their medication. Male patients (P=0.044) and smokers (P=0.002) were more likely to be nonadherent to their medication regimen. Nonadherent patients were more likely to have (i) more concerns about their glaucoma medications (P=0.000); (ii) less belief in the effects of their medications (P=0.026); (iii) a lower quality of life (higher score of GQOL-15, P=0.014); (iv) less symptoms from their glaucoma (lower score of Glaucoma Symptom Scale, P=0.026); and (v) more effect on their lives from glaucoma (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The full-adherence rate is low among glaucoma patients. Having less belief in the need for and more concerns about their medication are the 2 factors associated with nonadherence. In the future, effective strategies should be explored to improve patients' beliefs. Nonadherence has an association with decreased quality of life. Strategies to improve adherence will need to deal with these areas.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, National University Health System †Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER), Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Seng Chee
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Loon
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin Goh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents