title: Patients' beliefs and attitudes about their treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adherence to medication during the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is important in terms of maintaining remission. According to studies on adherence to medication in other chronic diseases, non-adherence is associated with negative attitudes to treatment. The aims of this study were to assess adherence rates and IBD patients' beliefs and attitudes regarding medication using a questionnaire based approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and eighty seven patients from three tertiary hospitals were enrolled and completed a questionnaire that addressed adherence (Medication Adherence Report Scale, MARS), beliefs, and attitudes to medication (Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire, BMQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a cutoff score of 16/20 for MARS, 64 (22.3%) patients did not adhere to medication. According to attitude analysis conducted using the BMQ, 41.8% of the 287 study subjects felt high necessity but low concern for the medication ("accepting") and 34.8% felt high necessity and concern ("ambivalent"). Multivariate analysis showed significantly lower adherence to medication among younger patients, patients with experience of adverse effects to medication, patients with demanding jobs, and for those with an "indifferent" or "skeptical" attitude regarding the benefits of medication. On the other hand, IBD patients with "accepting" attitude adhered to medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Twenty-two percent of IBD patients were non-adherent to medical treatment, and belief of the need for medication was found to significantly enhance adherence. Interventions, such as education about the efficacy and safety of medications, should be considered to facilitate adherence to medical treatment among IBD patients.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Sung Bum
authors: SB
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Kyeong Ok
authors: KO
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Byung Ik
authors: BI
authors: Jang
authors: Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Eun Soo
authors: ES
authors: Kim
authors: Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Kwang Bum
authors: KB
authors: Cho
authors: Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Kyung Sik
authors: KS
authors: Park
authors: Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Min Kyu
authors: MK
authors: Chung
authors: Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors: Seong Woo
authors: SW
authors: Jeon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adherence; attitude; inflammatory bowel disease; medication