[Self-care agency and adherence to treatment in people having cardiovascular risk].

OBJECTIVE

Determining the relationship between self-care agency and adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in patients having cardiovascular risk factors at the Tunjuelito hospital in Bogota.

METHODOLOGY

This study involved a descriptive and correlational design which evaluated self-care agency ability and adherence to treatment in a random sample of 201 people having the following cardiovascular risk factors: being obese, having a sedentary lifestyle, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The patients being studied were attending Tunjuelito hospital's chronic-patient programme. Appraisal of self-care agency (ASA) scale and a questionnaire for evaluating behaviour regarding adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment from the NOC taxonomy were carried out in the research.

RESULTS

62.6 % of the people having cardiovascular risk factors had regular self-care agency ability, whilst 77 % presented good adherence to pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. Spearman's coefficient revealed a 0.413 correlation between self-care agency ability and adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, indicating moderate and positive correlation.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-care agency involves an individual's active and tacit participation in discerning, decision-making and taking self-care action for maintaining and improving her/his health (i.e. adhering to prescribed treatment).