Understanding Medication Adherence in Men with Chronic Conditions Using the Andersen Behavioural Model

Abstract

Chronic illnesses have a huge impact on health outcomes and cause disease burden. Although better adherence to medication has been found to associate with better health outcome and reduce disease burden, the level of adherence can be influenced by an individual’s socio-environmental factors. However, as little studies have used a framework model to understand medication adherence, this study aims to use the Andersen Behavioural Model to explain medication adherence. The Andersen Behavioural Model is a theoretical framework which is able to demonstrates the effects of predisposing, enabling, and need factors in predicting medication adherence. Data used in this cross-sectional study are taken from the longitudinal Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study (FAMAS) that began in 2002. A total of 447 male participants aged 47 to 92 were recruited in this study, who completed the 2015-2016 FAMAS follow-up questionnaire. The associations between factors in the Andersen Behaviour Model and medication adherence were analysed. The proxy measure used for medication adherence is the number of medication taken. While several associations between the Andersen Behavioural Model and medication adherence were significant, some were not. The significant associations were then analysed using a multiple regression model, to demonstrate the relationship between the significant variables and medication adherence after adjusting for covariates. Findings of this study show that the level of adherence can be influenced by a number of factors of the individuals, such as age, individual beliefs, and number of chronic conditions. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future studies were provided.