Medication belief as correlate of medication adherence among patients with diabetes in Edo State, Nigeria.
Olaolorunpo Olorunfemi, Foluso Ojewole
PMID 30534409WHAT IT FOUND
Most diabetic patients in this Nigerian survey reported low medication adherence.
Those who believed their drugs were harmful or unnecessary were significantly more likely to skip doses. Addressing these specific fears during patient education may be more effective than simply repeating instructions.
Key findings
01More than half of the participants had low medication adherence levels.
02Patients' concern about medication harm was higher than their belief in its necessity.
03There was a significant negative correlation between medication beliefs and adherence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single state in Nigeria where cultural beliefs favoring traditional medicine over orthodox medicine were prevalent, so findings may not apply to other populations. The correlation was weak (-0.208), meaning medication beliefs explain only a small portion of the variation in adherence; other factors like cost, availability, and health literacy likely play larger roles. Adherence was self-reported, which often overestimates actual medication-taking behavior. The design is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that negative beliefs cause poor adherence; patients who struggle to take medications may develop negative beliefs as a result.
Declared interests
The author declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that changing beliefs will significantly improve adherence. The correlation found was weak (rho = -0.208), suggesting that while beliefs matter, they are only one small piece of the puzzle compared to factors like drug cost and access.