Abstract:

Objective: Patient adherence, particularly in the management of chronic diseases, is an often overlooked but crucial aspect that is more important than medication treatment itself. It is also one of the major problems contributing to treatment failures. Our study aims to evaluate the adherence levels of elderly hypertensive individuals residing in the city center of Edirne, as well as the factors influencing adherence levels. Methods: The study sample consists of 421 elderly hypertensive individuals registered with 52 primary healthcare units in the city center of Edirne. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 75 questions. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, factors that may affect patient adherence, and the Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale consisting of 25 questions. Results: Of the participants, 226 (53.7%) were female and 195 (46.3%) were male. The participants had an average adaptation score of 87.04±9.77, with a minimum score of 62 and a maximum score of 116. Younger elderly individuals had higher adaptation scores. Adaptation scores were lower for widowed individuals, illiterate individuals, and those living alone. Participants who were informed about their illness and treatment, involved their families, and had family support had higher adaptation scores. Conclusions: The adherence levels of the elderly participants in our study were found to be below the expected level. Existing studies in the literature predominantly focus on medication adherence. Conducting studies that specifically target disease adaptation would enable a better understanding of patients and the development of new strategies to improve adherence levels.

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