Validity and reliability of Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) in a Southeastern European population

Area of Science:

• Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes Research
• Psychometrics and Survey Methodology
• Public Health and Epidemiology

Background:

• Medication adherence is crucial for improving patient health outcomes and overall well-being.
• Accessible and cost-effective assessment tools like questionnaires are vital for measuring adherence.
• These tools must be rigorously validated for reliability and sensitivity to change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Albanian version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5).
• To assess the correlation between MARS-5 scores and sociodemographic/health status characteristics in Albania.
• To establish MARS-5 as a dependable measure for medication adherence in the Albanian adult population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 256 adults (≥18 years) with hypertension, diabetes, or both in Albania.
• The Albanian MARS-5 was administered twice (two-week interval) to participants in primary healthcare settings.
• Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest reliability (Pearson's correlation) were assessed.

Main Results:

• High internal consistency was found (Cronbach's alpha 0.89 for test, 0.91 for retest).
• Excellent test-retest reliability was demonstrated (r = 0.95, P < 0.001).
• Higher adherence scores correlated with urban residence, education, income, and regular check-ups, but inversely with disease duration and medication complexity.

Conclusions:

• The Albanian version of MARS-5 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing medication adherence.
• MARS-5 can be effectively utilized in Albania to measure adherence in adult populations.
• Findings support the use of MARS-5 for research and clinical practice to enhance medication adherence strategies.