Factors Influencing Medication Adherence Among Chinese Older Adults With Physical Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Medication non‐adherence is common in chronic conditions and linked to poor outcomes and higher costs. Older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy face a higher non‐adherence risk. This cross‐sectional study in northeast China (April–September 2024) examined medication adherence and its influencing factors among 240 community‐dwelling older adults with physical multimorbidity and polypharmacy, using structured interviews at health centers. Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression, with medication adherence as the outcome variable. Independent variables included functional social support, medicine beliefs, illness representation, medication literacy, depression, experience of medication‐related side effects, number of medications taken daily, and patient‐provider relationship. Medication adherence among participants was at a moderate level. Poorer medication adherence was associated with insufficient medication literacy ( p  < 0.001), strong illness representation ( p  = 0.003), lower perceived functional social support ( p  = 0.008), depression ( p  = 0.050), and a strong belief in Traditional Chinese Medicine ( p  = 0.040). These findings highlight modifiable risk factors for non‐adherence, offering targets for culturally tailored interventions to improve medication adherence and health outcomes in older adults with physical multimorbidity and polypharmacy.