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Path analysis of illness perception, medication beliefs, family support on inhaler adherence in elderly COPD
You-Ran Liu1, Yan Wang2, Jingjing Liu3
1School of nursing, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, China.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the pathways through which personal factors (demographic characteristics, illness perception, medication beliefs) and environmental factors (family support) influence adherence to inhaler therapy among Chinese elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on the triadic reciprocal determinism.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2022 to December 2023 using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI), the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) and the Family Support Scale to investigate 305 elderly COPD patients (mean age 70.96 years, 213 males) from the Department of Respiratory Medicine of a comprehensive hospital in Anhui, China mainland. Path analysis was performed using AMOS 22.0.
Results:
Path analysis showed that illness perception, necessity beliefs, concerns beliefs and family support all had direct effects on inhaler adherence, while age had an indirect effect on adherence. Additionally, necessity beliefs and concerns beliefs exhibited significant mediating effects between illness perception and inhaler adherence. Family support respectively mediated the relationships between necessity beliefs, concerns beliefs and inhaler adherence.
Conclusion:
A multidimensional approach targeting cognitive, belief and family factors holds promise for substantially improving inhaler adherence among elderly COPD populations.
Practice Implications:
This study provided new perspectives for improving inhaler adherence in COPD patients. Healthcare providers should emphasize improving patients' illness perception and medication beliefs, considering the important impact of family support on inhaler adherence.
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