Compliance and health promotion

Compliance has long been an area of concern in medical therapies. As efforts toward health promotion and wellness grow, compliance also must be addressed in the context of health promotional lifestyle changes. Research has focused on direct and indirect methods useful in measuring compliance. Results, however, are inconclusive as to which method offers the most useful data. Studies have found related factors of compliance that may help the health-care provider to determine or predict compliance: lack of knowledge, sociodemographic variables, and practitioner-client relationship. Through research on measurement and determinants of compliance, a number of successful strategies for enhancing compliance have surfaced.