The consequences of general medication beliefs measured by the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire on medication adherence : A systematic review
- Authors: Shahin, Wejdan , Kennedy, Gerard , Stupans, Ieva
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Pharmacy Vol. 8, no. 3 (2020), p. 1-15
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- Description: (1) Background: Medication adherence is a key determinant of patient health outcomes in chronic illnesses. However, adherence to long-term therapy remains poor. General beliefs about medicine are considered factors influencing medication adherence. It is essential to address the gap in the literature regarding understanding the impact of general beliefs about medicine on medication adherence to promote adherence in chronic illnesses. (2) Methods: PubMed, CINHAL, and EMBASE databases were searched. Studies were included if they examined medication beliefs using the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire in one of four chronic illnesses: hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and/or asthma. (3) Results: From 1799 articles obtained by the search, only 11 met the inclusion criteria. Hypertension and diabetes represented 91% of included studies, while asthma represented 9%. Higher medication adherence was associated with negative general medication beliefs; 65% of the included studies found a negative association between harm beliefs and adherence, while 30% of studies found a negative association with overuse beliefs. (4) Conclusions: This review evaluated the impact of harm and overuse beliefs about medicines on medication adherence, highlighting the gap in literature regarding the impact of harm and overuse beliefs on adherence. Further research is needed to fully identify the association between general beliefs and medication adherence in people with different cultural backgrounds, and to explore these beliefs in patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Healthcare providers need to be aware of the impact of patients' cultural backgrounds on general medication beliefs and adherence.
The effect of acculturation and harm beliefs on medication adherence on Middle Eastern hypertensive refugees and migrants in Australia
- Authors: Shahin, Wejdan , Kennedy, Gerard , Cockshaw, Wendell , Stupans, Ieva
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy Vol. 43, no. 5 (2021), p. 1283-1292
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- Description: Background Different populations have different levels of acculturation, and beliefs about medications. Little is known about the differences between refugees and migrants regarding these various beliefs. Adherence to medications is influenced by many factors, including individuals’ characteristics, acculturation, and their perceptions about medications. Having a thorough understanding of these beliefs contributes to understanding medication adherence in refugee and migrant populations. Objectives To evaluate the differences between Middle Eastern refugees and migrants in Australia regarding acculturation, beliefs about medications, and medication adherence, and to evaluate the association of acculturation and beliefs about medications and natural remedies with medication adherence. Setting Participants were recruited from various community groups and English language learning centres in Australia. Arabic Facebook community groups were also used to recruit participants for this study. Method A total of 320 Middle Eastern refugees and migrants with hypertension completed Arabic or English versions of the general Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire (BMQ)—harm scale, a question about beliefs in natural remedies, six items about acculturation and the Medication Adherence Questionnaire. Two models of multiple mediation were applied. The first model examined the role of acculturation, length of residency, beliefs about natural remedies, and harm beliefs as mediators between migration status and medication adherence. The second model identified the role of acculturation, and beliefs about natural remedies as mediators between migration status and medication harm beliefs. Main outcome measure Medication adherence, harm beliefs about medication, acculturation, and beliefs about natural remedies. In addition, the differences between refugees and migrants regarding these beliefs and medication adherence. Results Differences were found between refugees and migrants for medication adherence and medication beliefs. Refugees were likely to have more harm beliefs towards medicine and were less acculturated than migrants (p = 0.0001). They were also less likely to adhere to medications (p = 0.0001), and perceived natural remedies to be safer than Western medications (p = 0.0001). Perceiving medications as harmful substances, and beliefs in natural remedies were mediators in the relationship between migration status and medication adherence. Beliefs in natural remedies and acculturation were mediators in the relationship between migration status and harm beliefs. Conclusion Beliefs about medications and natural remedies, and acculturation in refugees and migrants need to be better understood to enhance medication adherence and potentially overall health outcomes. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature.