Open AccessMedication Adherence and Coping Strategies in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study
Author(s) -
Carolin Berner,
L Erlacher,
Karl Heinrich Fenzl,
Thomas Dörner
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.8
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1687-9279
pISSN - 1687-9260
DOI - 10.1155/2019/4709645
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , confidence interval , coping (psychology) , cross sectional study , odds ratio , outpatient clinic , rheumatology , physical therapy , psychiatry , pathology
Objectives The aim of this study was to determine if strategies for coping with illnesses, demographic factors, and clinical factors were associated with medication adherence among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a Viennese rheumatology outpatient clinic on RA patients. Medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Adherence Report Scale. Strategies for coping with illness were assessed using the Freiburg Questionnaire for Coping with Illness.Results Half (N=63, 52.5%) of the 120 patients included in the study were considered completely medication adherent. Female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 4.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14 – 18.42), older age (54-65 yr vs. <45 yr OR: 9.2, CI:2.0-40.70; >65 yr vs. <45 yr OR 6.93, CI:1,17 – 40.87), middle average income (middle average income vs. lowest income class OR= 0.06, CI= 0.01-0.43), and shorter disease duration (5-10 yr vs. >10 yr OR= 3.53, CI= 1.04-11.95; 1-4 yr vs. >10 yr OR=3.71, CI= 1.02-13.52) were associated with higher medication adherence. Levels of active coping (15.57 vs. 13.47, p=0.01) or diversion and self-encouragement (16.10 vs. 14.37, p=0.04) were significantly higher among adherent as opposed to less adherent participants. However, in multivariate regression models, coping strategies were not significantly associated with adherence.Conclusions Age, sex, monthly net income, and disease duration were found to be associated with an increased risk for medication nonadherence among patients with RA. Coping strategies such as active coping, diversion, and self-encouragement were associated with adherence in univariate models, but not when adjusted for demographic and clinical factors.