Validation of Chinese version of the Morisky medication adherence scale in patients with epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to validate a Chinese version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) in patients with epilepsy. The relationships between adherence, seizure frequency, and adverse effects were assessed using this method.


METHODS
Data from patients diagnosed with epilepsy at the Department of Neurology of Huashan Hospital were collected between January and June 2013. To validate the MMAS-8, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and factor analysis were calculated. Relationships between adherence, seizure frequency, and adverse effects were assessed using Pearson's correlation.


RESULTS
One hundred and eleven patients were recruited. The MMAS-8 had moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.556) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.729). The MMAS-8 adherence rate was 79.2%. MMAS-8 adherence was negatively correlated with seizure frequency and adverse effects (r = -0.708, p<0.001; r = -0.484, p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The MMAS-8 scale can be used as a tool to assess medication adherence in Chinese patients with epilepsy. Better seizure control and lower rates of adverse effects were significantly correlated with higher adherence scores.
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: beekelvin2003@hotmail.com.
Aifang
A
Yang
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: bywang1966@gmail.com.
Bin
B
Wang
Department of Neurology, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Guoxing
G
Zhu
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zheng
Z
Jiao
Department of Neurology, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Youxin
Y
Fang
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Fengmin
F
Tang
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Chunlai
C
Ma
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yue
Y
Zhao
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Cai
C
Cheng
Department of Pharmacy, HuaShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Mingkang
M
Zhong
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating; D055815:Young Adult
D000927:Anticonvulsants
Adherence; Epilepsy; Scale; Validation