| خلاصه مقاله | Introduction: In the elderly, health status undergoes significant changes, leading to
an increased likelihood of contracting diseases and developing disabilities over time.
Aging can precisely change the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic process of
drugs. Due to their unique condition, older adults are more exposed to the risk of
improper use of medicine and its complications. The aging population is increasing,
and without proper planning, it can lead to significant challenges in the 21st century.
The present study aimed to assess drug adherence and related factors in the old
people.
Methods and Materials: This cross
-sectional descriptive study was conducted in
four months. By referring to the Asadabadi polyclinic, the available elderly
population was examined. Data collection tools included a demographic information
questionnaire and the Morisky questionnaire. The reliability of this tool was
reported to be 0.68
, with Cronbach's alpha method. Patients who took five or more
drugs were considered polypharmacy. Fixed and monthly income was also
estimated. After completing the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using SPSS
software. Independent
t
-test, chi
-square, and Kendall's tau
-b correlation was used to
analyze the data
.
Results: Based on the criteria of the Morisky questionnaire, among the participants,
96, 13, and 1 had poor, moderate, and high medication adherence, respectively.
There was no significant correlation between age and medication adherence score
and between the medication compliance group and gender. All working people had
poor medication compliance. The medication adherence score for unemployed
individuals was 1.11 points higher than that of employed individuals, which was
statistically significant. All he elderly whose spouses died had poor medication
adherence. The average medication adherence score in people with high school
literacy levels was slightly higher than in other educational groups. However, no
statistical difference was found between the groups' average score of medication
adherence. However, a positive and weak correlation was observed between the
number of drugs used and the drug compliance score. Although medication
compliance among the elderly was mostly low or average, in the data test, there
was a significant relationship between the presence or absence of polypharmacy
and the quality of medication compliance among the elderly.
Conclusion and
Discussion: This study investigate
d the level of medication
adherence and its related factors. The prevalence of polypharmacy among elderly
patients was high, and a significant percentage of this population exhibited poor
medication adherence. Based on these findings, there is essential to provide proper
education to both caregivers and patients to improve medication adherence rate. |