Murphy Jane, Eustace Neidin, Sarma Kiran M, Molloy Gerard J
School of Psychology, NUI Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Int J Behav Med. 2018 Aug;25(4):431-437. doi: 10.1007/s12529-018-9729-9.
Non-adherence to the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) has been reported by almost half of OCP users. As the efficacy of the OCP requires daily adherence, poor adherence often leads to unplanned pregnancies in women who depend on this method of contraception. This study aims to investigate the association between habit strength and time- and place-based cues in the context of adherence to the OCP.
A cross-sectional questionnaire of 245 current OCP users with a mean age of 22.41 years (SD = 4.78) and a range of 18-52 years was conducted. The Self-Report Behavioural Automaticity Index was employed to measure habit strength. The Medication Adherence Report Scale was used and modified to refer to OCP non-adherence specifically. Additional measures were employed to assess the use of time- and place-based cues. Data were analysed using correlational analyses.
Stronger habit strength was associated with better adherence to the OCP (r = - 0.25, p < .001). Having a fixed time of day to take the OCP was associated with habit strength and OCP adherence. Having a fixed place to store the OCP was associated with habit strength but not with OCP adherence.
Time- and place-based cues are likely to be an important part of any intervention design to support adherence and strengthen the habit of taking the OCP. It is recommended that future replications include longitudinal study designs and analyses.
据报道，几乎一半的口服避孕药（OCP）使用者存在不坚持服药的情况。由于OCP的有效性需要每日坚持服用，依从性差往往会导致依赖这种避孕方法的女性意外怀孕。本研究旨在调查在坚持服用OCP的背景下，习惯强度与基于时间和地点的提示之间的关联。
对245名当前使用OCP的用户进行了横断面问卷调查，这些用户的平均年龄为22.41岁（标准差=4.78），年龄范围为18至52岁。采用自我报告行为自动性指数来测量习惯强度。使用并修改了药物依从性报告量表，以专门指代OCP不依从情况。还采用了其他措施来评估基于时间和地点的提示的使用情况。使用相关性分析对数据进行了分析。
更强的习惯强度与更好地坚持服用OCP相关（r=-0.25，p<0.001）。有固定的每日服药时间与习惯强度和OCP依从性相关。有固定的存放OCP的地点与习惯强度相关，但与OCP依从性无关。
基于时间和地点的提示可能是任何支持依从性和强化服用OCP习惯的干预设计的重要组成部分。建议未来的重复研究包括纵向研究设计和分析。
