title: Associations between patient factors and medication adherence: A Jordanian experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of patient characteristics and health beliefs on their medication adherence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n=167) with chronic conditions (mean age 58.9; SD=13.54, 53% males) were recruited from March 2009- to March 2010 using a cross sectional study design. Data collected included patients' demographics, medical conditions, medications therapeutic regimen, frequency of physician visits and health beliefs. Patient self-reported adherence to medications was assessed by the researcher using a validated and published scale. Treatment related problems (TRPs) were evaluated for each patient by competent clinical pharmacists. Associations between patient characteristics/health beliefs with adherence were explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About half of the patients (46.1%) were non-adherent. A significant association was found between lower adherence and higher number of disease states (p<0.001), higher number of medications (p=0.001), and higher number of identified TRPs (p = 0.003). Patient adherence was positively affected by older age, higher educational level, and higher number of physician visits per month, while it was negatively affected by reporting difficulties with getting prescription refills on time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified different factors that may negatively affect adherence, including higher number of medications and disease states, higher number of identified TRPs and inability to getting prescription refills on time. Hence, more care needs to be provided to patients with complex therapeutic regimens in order to enhance adherence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Sciences University , Amman ( Jordan ). dr_iman@asu.edu.jo.
authors.forename: Iman A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Basheti
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality Assurance, Sanofi, Jeddah, ( Saudi Arabia ). ssaqfelhait@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sami Saqf El
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hait
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Sciences University . Amman ( Jordan ). eyadqunaibi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Eyad A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Qunaibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopharmaceutics & Clinical Pharmacy, University of Jordan . Amman ( Jordan ). aburuz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aburuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopharmaceutics & Clinical Pharmacy, University of Jordan . Amman ( Jordan ). nboulatova@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nailya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bulatova
keywords: Attitudes; Epidemiologic Factors; Health Knowledge; Jordan; Medication Adherence; Practice