| Abstract [eng] |
In this doctoral dissertation we are aiming to identify predictive biopsychosocial factors of adherence to treatment regimen among patients suffering from chronic conditions, to detect association between those factors and to establish their indirect relationship to adherence to treatment regimen. 303 outpatients (M age = 58.2, SD = 9.5, range: 30-94) participated in the research. All study participants were diagnosed with hypertension and more than half of them were diagnosed with comorbid diabetes and / or other chronic diseases. The results of the research show that the construct of adherence to treatment regimen among patients with chronic diseases is best explained by a hierarchical structure composed of two second-order factors – medication and non-medication treatment adherence. Medication treatment adherence factor is in turn composed of intentional and unintentional medication non-adherence, while non-medication treatment adherence is composed of health monitoring, physical activity and dietary behavior. Complex analysis of prognostic variables showed that patients’ beliefs about the treatment and such aspects of illness perception like perceived health risk and illness duration predict adherence to treatment regimen. Moreover, sociodemographic characteristics and personality traits predict several aspects of treatment adherence. Micro-level factors predict patients’ adherence to treatment regimen, beliefs about the treatment and illness perception. Health condition and treatment-related variables predict patients’ beliefs about the treatment and illness perception, and thus indirectly explain treatment adherence among patients with chronic conditions. |
