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A Participatory Sensing Study to Understand the Problems Older Adults Faced in Developing Medication-Taking Habits
Maribel Valenzuela-Beltrán1, Ángel G Andrade1, Katarzyna Stawarz2
1Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), Mexicali 21100, Mexico.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2022
Summary
Older adults improve medication adherence by linking daily routines to medication schedules. Challenges include routine disruptions and integrating multiple medication cues, highlighting the need for personalized habit formation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Behavioral Science
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Older adults often use daily activities as cues for medication adherence.
- Medication non-adherence persists due to inadequate cue selection or routine interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how older adults associate daily routines with medication taking for consistency.
- To identify challenges faced by older adults in linking daily routines and medication adherence.
Main Methods:
- A 30-day mixed-methods study involving four participants aged 70-73.
- Collected quantitative and qualitative data on medication-taking behaviors and routines.
Main Results:
- Matching medication regimens to habitual routines improved time-based consistency.
- Key challenges included integrating medication into broad routines, multiple routine associations, lack of strict routines, and disruptions.
Conclusions:
- Habit formation strategies should incorporate dosage patterns and daily activity logs for older adults.
- Personalized approaches are needed to optimize medication adherence through routine integration.
