Department of Pharmacognosy, Yenepoya Pharmacy College and Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Division of Data Analytics Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
PLoS One. 2024 Nov 12;19(11):e0302546. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302546. eCollection 2024.
Understanding the factors that influence medication adherence and the multidimensional aspects of quality of life in the elderly is of paramount importance in enhancing their overall well-being. Since geriatric patients usually suffer from multiple morbidities due to their declining age, the adherence towards their medications plays a very crucial role in their quality of life.
This cross-sectional study explores the intricate relationship between medication adherence and quality of life among 310 elderly patients at a single medical college and hospital. Participants completed the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess medication adherence and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, which comprises four domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) to evaluate quality of life. Statistical analyses, including correlations, paired t-tests, ANOVA, and Backward Multiple Linear Regression, were employed to examine the relationships and differences among variables.
The findings indicate varying levels of medication adherence among participants, with a significant proportion exhibiting medium adherence (47.1%) and highlighting the need for interventions to address challenges in medication adherence among the elderly population. Notably, gender emerged as a significant factor influencing quality of life, with males reporting higher satisfaction across all domains compared to females. Medication adherence exhibited a significant correlation with the social relationships domain (DOM3) of the WHOQOL-BREF, underlining the importance of adherence in fostering positive social interactions.
Our study revealed a significant association between medication adherence (MMAS- 8) and the quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) among elderly patients. We also observed noteworthy gender differences in quality-of-life perceptions. It emphasizes the need for tailored interventions that consider medication adherence issues to enhance the overall quality of life among this vulnerable population.
了解影响老年人药物依从性的因素以及生活质量的多维方面对于提高他们的整体幸福感至关重要。由于老年患者由于年龄的下降通常患有多种疾病，因此他们对药物的依从性对他们的生活质量起着非常关键的作用。
本横断面研究探讨了一所医学院附属医院的 310 名老年患者中药物依从性与生活质量之间的复杂关系。参与者完成了 Morisky 药物依从性量表（MMAS-8）来评估药物依从性和世界卫生组织生活质量简表（WHOQOL-BREF）问卷，该问卷包含四个领域（身体健康，心理健康，社会关系和环境）来评估生活质量。进行了统计分析，包括相关性，配对 t 检验，方差分析和向后多元线性回归，以检查变量之间的关系和差异。
研究结果表明，参与者的药物依从性程度不同，其中相当一部分表现出中等依从性（47.1％），突出了需要采取干预措施来解决老年人药物依从性方面的挑战。值得注意的是，性别是影响生活质量的重要因素，与女性相比，男性在所有领域的满意度都更高。药物依从性与 WHOQOL-BREF 的社会关系领域（DOM3）呈显著相关，突出了依从性在促进积极社会互动方面的重要性。
我们的研究揭示了老年患者药物依从性（MMAS-8）与生活质量（WHOQOL-BREF）之间存在显著关联。我们还观察到生活质量感知方面存在显著的性别差异。这强调了需要进行针对性的干预措施，考虑药物依从性问题，以提高这一弱势群体的整体生活质量。
