Özet:

Aim: Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are reported to be 3 times more likely to use health care services compared to the general population, 4 times more likely to go to the doctor, have 4 times more drug use and 2.5 times more pain-related expenditures. In this study, we firstly aimed to investigate the relationship between health literacy (HL) and medication adherence (MA) in FMS patients who were treated for at least six months. Secondly, we planned to investigate the association of HL with disease activity.

Methods: This study had a cross-sectional analytical design. Patients diagnosed with FMS according to the 2014 ACR diagnostic criteria for at least six months were included in the study. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) and the Morisky 8-Item MA scale forms were filled out in face-to-face interviews with the patients.

Results: The study was completed with a total of 142 FMS patients. There was a statistically significant difference between the Morisky 8-Item MA groups according to the HLS-EU-Q47 scale and sub-scale scores (p<0.05). There was also a difference between the Morisky 8-Item MA groups according to the health service score. There was a negative significant correlation between the Morisky 8-Item MA scale score and VAS measurements.

Conclusions: We believe that educational programs for patients about FMS and increasing their MA and HL will positively affect their treatment outcomes.

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