title: Increased Education is Associated with Decreased Compliance in an Urban Multi-Ethnic Lupus Cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the factors associated with medication compliance in a multi-ethnic population of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in an urban community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed patients in our cohort using the standardized measures of the Compliance-Questionnaire-Rheumatology (CQR), the Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire (BMQ), as well as patient self-reported compliance. Demographic and clinical characteristics of compliant and non-compliant patients underwent bivariate analysis. A multivariate analysis was then performed on variables of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 94 patients who agreed to participate in the survey, 89 fully completed each questionnaire. Overall, 48% of patients were compliant by CQR. In multivariate analyses, higher education level was associated with non-compliance. Spanish-speaking patients and those with an income of greater than $15,000 per year were more likely to be compliant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this urban lupus population, several factors may influence medication compliance. Factors associated with non-compliance are not what have been found in other populations. Further studies looking into specific reasons for certain areas of non-compliance as well as addressing these issues will be important in both treatment and outcomes in lupus patients in implementing appropriate interventions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graybill
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wahezi
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Chaim
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Putterman
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blanco
keywords: Medication compliance; Racial and ethnic minorities; Systemic lupus erythematosus