Objectives: This investigation examines the association of personality factors and medication adherence among older adults. Method: The Six-Factor Personality Questionnaire was mailed to participants involved in a medication adherence investigation. Medication adherence was monitored with an electronic monitoring cap for 8 weeks for one prescribed daily medication. Results: Sixty older adults, mean age 77 years (range 67 to 93 years), returned the questionnaire (69% response rate). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrates that when age and level of education are controlled, independence predicts medication adherence. This factor demonstrates a negative relationship with adherence suggesting that higher levels of independence may be related to lower adherence to prescribed medication. The facet component self-reliance is predictive of poor medication adherence. Discussion: The finding that higher self-reliance is associated with lower adherence in an older population deserves further investigation and clinical consideration.
Aardex. (2005). Advanced analytical research on drug exposure. Retrieved May 9, 2005, from http://www.aardex.ch/E/products/sproducts.htm
2.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy and health behaviour. In A. Baum, S. Newman, J. Weinman, R. West, & C. McManus (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of psychology, health, and medicine (pp. 160-162). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
3.
Christensen, A. J. (2000). Patient-by-treatment context interaction in chronic disease: A conceptual framework for the study of patient adherence. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 435-443.
4.
Christensen, A. J., Ehlers, S. L., Wiebe, J. S., Moran, P. J., Raichle, K., Ferneyhough, K., et al. (2002). Patient personality and mortality: A 4-year prospective examination of chronic renal insufficiency. Health Psychology, 21, 315-320.
5.
Christensen, A. J., & Johnson, J. A. (2002). Patient adherence with medical treatment regimens: An interactive approach. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 94-97.
6.
Christensen, A. J., & Smith, T. W. (1995). Personality and patient adherence: Correlates of the five-factor model in renal dialysis. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 18, 305-313.
7.
Col, N., Fanale, J. E., & Kronholm, P. (1990). The role of medication noncompliance and adverse drug reactions in hospitalizations of the elderly. Archives of Internal Medicine, 150, 841-845.
8.
Cooper, J. W., Love, D. W., & Raffoul, P. R. (1982). Intentional prescription nonadherence (non-compliance) by the elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 30, 329-333.
9.
Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1987). Neuroticism, somatic complaints, and disease: Is the bark worse than the bite?Journal of Personality, 55, 299-316.
10.
Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). The NEO Personality Inventory-R; professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
11.
Cramer, J. A. (1995). Relationship between medication compliance and medical outcomes. American Journal of Health-Systems Pharmacy, 52(14), S27-S29.
12.
Dunbar-Jacob, J., Burke, L. E., & Puczynski, S. (1995). Clinical assessment and management of adherence to medical regimens. In P. M. Nicassio & T. W. Smith (Eds.), Managing chronic illness: A biopsychosocial perspective (pp. 313-349). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
13.
Dunbar-Jacob, J., Erlen, J. A., Schlenk, E. A., Ryan, C. M., Sereika, S. M., & Doswell, W. M. (2000). Adherence in chronic disease. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 18, 48-90.
14.
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189-198.
15.
Friedman, R. H., Kazis, L. E., Jette, A., Smith, M. B., Stollerman, J., Torgerson, J., et al. (1996). A telecommunications system for monitoring and counseling patients with hypertension. Impact on medication adherence and blood pressure control. American Journal of Hypertension, 9, 285-292.
16.
Haynes, R. B., McKibbon, K. A., & Kanani, R. (1996). Systematic review of randomized trials of interventions to assist patients to follow prescriptions for medications. Lancet, 348, 38.
17.
Insel, K. C., Morrow, D. G., Brewer, B. B., & Figueredo, A. J. (in press). Executive function, working memory and medication adherence among older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.
18.
Jackson, D. N., Paunonen, S. V., & Tremblay, P. F. (2000). SFPQ Six Factor Personality Questionnaire Manual. Port Huron, MI: Sigma Assessment Systems.
19.
Leventhal, E. A., Leventhal, H., Robitaile, C., & Brownlee, S. (1999). Psychosocial factors in the medication adherence: A model of the modeler. In D. C. Park, R. W. Morrell, & K. Shifren (Eds.), Processing of medical information in aging patients (pp. 145-166). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
20.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1987). Validation of the five factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 52, 81-90.
21.
Morrell, R. W., Park, D. C., Kidder, D. P., & Martin, M. (1997). Adherence to antihypertensive medications across the life span. The Gerontologist, 37, 609-619.
22.
Morrow, D. G., & Insel, K. C. (2004). Patient compliance/adherence. In W. E. Craighead & C. Nemeroff (Eds.), Concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral sciences (pp. 670-672). New York: John Wiley.
23.
Morrow, D. G., & Leirer, V. O. (1999). Designing medication instructions for older adults. In D. C. Park, R. W. Morrell, & K. Shifren (Eds.), Processing of medical information in aging patients (pp. 249-265). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
24.
Nesselroade, J. R., & Baltes, P. B. (1975). Higher order factor convergence and divergence of two distinct personality systems: Attell’s HSPQ and Jackson’s PRF. Multivariate Behavioural Research, 10, 387-407.
25.
O’Brien, M. K., Petrie, K., & Raeburn, J. (1992). Adherence to medication regimens: Updating a complex medical issue. Medical Care Review, 49, 435-454.
26.
Park, D. C., Hertzog, C., Leventhal, H., Morrell, R. W., Leventhal, E., Birchmore, D., et al. (1999). Medication adherence in rheumatoid arthritis patients: Older is wiser. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 47, 172-183.
27.
Park, D. C., & Jones, T. R. (1997). Medication adherence and aging. In A. D. Fisk & W. A. Rogers (Eds.), Handbook of human factors and the older adult (pp. 257-287). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
28.
Rosenstock, I. M. (1975). Patient’s compliance with health regimens. Journal of the American Medical Association, 234, 402-403.
29.
Rudd, P. (1979). In search of the gold standard for compliance measurement. Archives of Internal Medicine, 139, 627-628.
30.
Steele, D. J., Jackson, T. C., & Gutmann, M. C. (1990). Have you been taking your pills? The adherence monitoring sequence in the medical interview. Journal of Family Practice, 30, 294.
31.
Stilley, C. S., Sereika, S., Muldoon, M. F., Ryan, C. M., & Dunbar-Jacob, J. (2004). Psychological and cognitive function: Predictors of adherence with cholesterol lowering treatment. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 27, 117-124.
32.
Wiebe, J. S., & Christensen, A. J. (1996). Patient adherence in chronic illness: Personality and coping in context. Journal of Personality, 64, 815-835.
33.
Wiebe, J. S., & Christensen, A. J. (1997). Health beliefs, personality, and adherence in hemodialysis patients: An interactional perspective. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 19, 30-35.
