UNDERSTANDING FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PATIENTS' NON-ADHERENCE TO A LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PLAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Lifestyle modification plans are vital for managing chronic diseases and improving patient health outcomes.
• Non-adherence to these plans presents a significant challenge in clinical settings.
• Understanding contributing factors is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing patient non-adherence to lifestyle modification plans.
• To explore barriers to adherence among visitors of Lifestyle Clinics in Jeddah.
• To inform targeted interventions for improving adherence and health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 380 adult participants referred for weight reduction.
• Data collected via questionnaires on sociodemographics, adherence, and barriers.
• Validated adherence questionnaire and statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics.

Main Results:

• 45.5% of participants were adherent, while 54.5% were non-adherent to lifestyle modification plans.
• Adherence positively correlated with age (r=0.205, p<.001); healthcare workers showed higher adherence.
• Primary barriers included lack of willpower (74.5%), energy (70.8%), and time (68.9%).

Conclusions:

• Younger age, non-healthcare occupations, and perceived barriers (lack of energy/time) are linked to non-adherence.
• A gap exists between knowledge of healthy lifestyles and actual behavioral implementation.
• Targeted, behavior-focused interventions addressing practical barriers are needed to improve adherence.