Validation of an Arabic Version of the Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale

Development and Validation of the Medication Use Competency Scale for Older Adults

PURPOSE

To develop a scale for evaluating the medication use competency of older adults and verify its psychometric properties.

METHOD

The Medication Use Competency Scale (MUCS) was initially formulated based on a literature review, theoretical frameworks, and qualitative interviews using a hybrid model. The scale was then tested on 245 older adults.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis identified 23 items across five factors: attitude, physical skills, knowledge, effort to sustain, and cognitive skills, explaining a significant portion of the variance. Construct validity was verified, along with criterion validity, which demonstrated a moderate correlation (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) with the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. The scale exhibited strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.84, and test-retest reliability of 0.73 (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The MUCS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing medication use competency in the older adult population. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, xx(x), xx-xx.].

Adherence Definitions, Measurement Modalities, and Psychometric Properties in HIV, Diabetes, and Nutritional Supplementation Studies: A Scoping Review

Measuring adherence has been a priority for researchers to help inform effective care for patients regularly consuming medications for chronic conditions. As a widely accepted "gold standard" adherence measure or operational definition does not exist, studies measure adherence using different modalities, which may lead to different conclusions about adherence patterns. The purpose of the scoping review was to identify modalities used to measure adherence to HIV medication, diabetes medication, and nutritional supplementation and explore the variation in adherence definitions, measurement modalities, and psychometric properties being reported across studies. Comprehensive searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO from January 2012 to January 2022. We included studies reporting psychometric properties of adherence/compliance to HIV medication, diabetes medication, or nutritional supplements. In total, we included 88 studies in the review. The 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was the most frequently used self-reported measure. We found almost no relationship between country income level and triangulation levels. The operational definition of adherence fell into four categories: numerical, dichotomous, ranked ordinal, and undefined. The amount of variation in an adherence definition category within a modality depended on whether the measures within the modality could be assessed numerically and whether widely accepted cutoffs existed for the measure. Across studies, 46 (52%) reported both validity and reliability, 28 (31%) reported validity only, and 14 (16%) reported reliability only. Fourteen types of validity and six types of reliability were identified across the studies. Measuring adherence accurately and reliably continues to be a challenge for research in HIV, diabetes, and nutritional supplementations. When reporting adherence measurements, we suggest including adherence results from multiple measures and modalities, presenting adherence results numerically, and reporting multiple types of validity and reliability.

Arabic translation and cultural adaptation of Hill-Bone compliance to high blood pressure therapy scale

Background

Adherence to prescription medications is vital to the success of any treatment plan, especially for chronic health conditions, such as hypertension (HTN). Although there are different scales used in assessing adherence to prescription medications, most if not all, of those scales are not available in Arabic. The absence of essential assessment tools makes the appraisal of adherence to prescription medications very difficult for native Arabic speakers. Therefore, this study aimed to translate and validate the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy (CHBPT) scale, which is commonly used to assess adherence to antihypertensive medications, among a sample of Arabic-speaking patients with HTN.

Methods

This was a single-center cross-sectional study that took place at a university-affiliated hospital. It interviewed adult (≥18 years) patients with HTN who were visiting the primary care clinics between January and November 2020. Non-Arabic speakers, those under 18 years of age, individuals without a diagnosis of HTN, and patients without any previously filled prescription medications for HTN within the past three months were excluded. The forward-backward translation method was used after receiving permission from the originators of the questionnaire to translate their scale to Arabic. Test-retest and Cronbach alpha methods were used to assess the reliability. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to examine the construct validity.

Results

One hundred and forty-one patients consented and participated in the study. Most of the patients were ≥ 50 years old (75 %), male (72 %), and had another chronic health condition besides HTN (99 %). The translated scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.83) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.9). The Kaiser-Meyer-Oklin was 0.82 indicating adequate sampling to conduct factor analysis; hence, three factors (e.g., subscales) were extracted similar to the original scale. The mean scores for appointment keeping, medication taking, and reducing sodium intake subscales, as well as for the overall scale were 5.62 ± 1.39, 33.94 ± 3.87, 9.73 ± 2.1, and 49.29 ± 5.21, respectively.

Conclusion

The translated version of the Hill-Bone CHBPT scale has both good reliability and validity and will hopefully help healthcare providers assess and monitor HTN patients' adherence to their antihypertensive medication regimens. Multicenter studies should be conducted to verify the validity and reliability of the translated questionnaire among different Arabic-speaking patient populations with HTN.

Social support and medication adherence among adult myasthenia gravis patients in China: the mediating role of mental health and self-efficacy

BACKGROUND

Myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare chronic neuromuscular disorder, is characterized by progressive physical decline and requires long-term pharmacological treatment. Due to the decline of physical and social abilities, MG patients are in great need of social support, including tangible and emotional support. This study aims to examine the association between social support and medication adherence and the possible mediating effects of mental health and self-efficacy among MG patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of a nationwide MG registry was conducted on 865 patients under oral medication treatment in China between June and July 2022. Validated scales were used to measure the respondent's mental distress (Four-item Patient Health Questionnaire), social support (Modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale), self-efficacy for medication use (Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale), and medication adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, MMAS).

RESULTS

The association between social support and medication adherence and possible mediating effects of mental distress and self-efficacy were tested by structural equation model, with significant demographic and disease-related factors adjusted. The respondents showed a very low level of medication adherence (71.2% poor adherence; 1.4% high adherence; mean MMAS = 4.65). The level of social support was positively associated with medication adherence, and such association was fully mediated by two indirect pathways: through self-efficacy (β = 0.07, proportion mediated = 63.8%); and through mental distress and then self-efficacy (β = 0.01, proportion mediated = 6.7%).

CONCLUSION

Provision of social support and interventions on mental health with emphasis on improving self-efficacy for medication use may effectively improve medication adherence among MG patients.

The Use of Multidimensional Nomial Logistic Model and Structural Equation Model in the Validation of the 14-Item Health-Literacy Scale in Chinese Patients Living with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 14-item health literacy scale (HL-14) in patients living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical setting.

Methods

Cross-sectional study using item response theory and structural equation modeling (SEM) for testing the item difficulty and three dimensional-HL configurations was adopted in this study. Chinese patients living with T2DM admitted to endocrinology department of Huadong hospital were evaluated by the HL-14 including communication, functional and critical health literacy from August to December 2021.

Results

The multidimensional random coefficients multinomial logistic model indicated the difficulty settings of the scale are appropriate for the study populations, and differential item functioning was not observed for sex in the study. SEM demonstrated that the three-dimensional configuration of the scale is good in the study population (x2/df=2.698, Comparative Fit Index = 0.965, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.076, standard residual mean root = 0.042).

Conclusion

The HL-14 scale is a reliable and valid measurement, which can perform equitably across sex in evaluating the health literacy in Chinese patients living with T2DM. Moreover, the scale may help fill the gaps of multidimensional health literacy assessment and rapid screening of health literacy ability for clinical practice.

Prevalence and associated factors of medication adherence among infertile women undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle: A cross-sectional study

Objective: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and associated factors of medication adherence among infertile women undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 556 infertile women undergoing FET cycle in total. The Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale (SEAMS), Herth Hope Index (HHI) scale, and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to evaluate the patients. Data were described by univariate and multivariate analyses. Logistic regression method was performed to analyse the factors potentially associated with medication adherence.

Results: The average score of Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale (SEAMS) was 30.38 ± 6.65, and 65.3% of participants showed non-adherence. Multiple regression analysis indicated that first-time FET cycle, treatment stage, methods of daily medication, social support and hope level were the main associated factors of the medication adherence among infertile women undergoing FET cycle (p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion: This study revealed the medication adherence is at medium level among infertile women undergoing FET cycle, especially in patients with repeated FET cycles. The study also suggested that improving the hope level and social support of infertile women undergoing FET cycle may increase medication adherence.

Self-Efficacy as Moderator and Mediator Between Medication Beliefs and Adherence in Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE

Poor antidiabetic medication adherence remains a great barrier to effective diabetes self-management among aging adults. This study investigates the mediation and moderation effects of self-efficacy on the relationship between medication beliefs and adherence in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study evaluated a sample of 309 hospitalized elderly patients who completed the assessment of medication beliefs, self-efficacy for medication uses and medication adherence in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. A bootstrapping sampling method and hierarchical moderator regression analysis were used to verify the hypothesis of mediation and moderation effects of self-efficacy on the relationship between medication beliefs and adherence.

RESULTS

Self-efficacy for medication use acted as a moderator (B=-0.063, t=-2.215, p=0.028) and partial mediator (CI_{total effect}=4.5-16.63, p=0.001; CI_indirect=1.524-5.323, p=0.014; CI_direct=2.151-11.817, p=0.001) on the relationship between general harm medication beliefs and medication adherence. Participants with lower general harm medication beliefs may develop higher self-efficacy, which, in turn, results in a higher level of medication adherence, and higher self-efficacy may attenuate the negative effect of high general harm medication beliefs on medication adherence.

CONCLUSION

Self-efficacy for medication use not only mediated the relationship between general harm beliefs about medication and medication adherence, but moderated it negatively. The findings of this study indicate an opportunity to improve the prognosis of elderly Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes through improved medication adherence by strengthening factors such as self-efficacy for appropriate medication use and general harm beliefs about medication.

Measurement Properties of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Medication Adherence in Cardiovascular Disease: A COSMIN Systematic Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Several medication adherence patient-reported outcome measures (MA-PROMs) are available for use in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, little evidence is available on the most suitable MA-PROM to measure medication adherence in patients with CVD. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise the measurement properties of MA-PROMs for patients with CVD and identify the most suitable MA-PROM for use in clinical practice or future research in patients with CVD.

METHODS

An electronic search of nine databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest Health and Medicine, Cochrane Library, PsychInfo, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) was conducted to identify studies that have reported on at least one of the measurement properties of MA-PROMs in patients with CVD. The methodological quality of the studies included in the systematic review was evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 40 MA-PROMs were identified in the 84 included studies. This review found there is a lack of moderate-to-high quality evidence of sufficient content validity for all MA-PROMs for patients with CVDs. Only eight MA-PROMs were classified in COSMIN recommendation category A. They exhibited sufficient content validity with very low-quality evidence, and moderate-to-high quality evidence for sufficient internal consistency. The 28 MA-PROMs that meet the requirements for COSMIN recommendation category 'B' require further validation studies. Four MA-PROMs including Hill-Bone Compliance Medication Scale (HBMS), the five-item Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5), Maastricht Utrecht Adherence in Hypertension (MUAH), and MUAH-16 have insufficient results with high quality evidence for at least one measurement property and consequently are not recommended for use in patients with CVD. Two MA-PROMs (Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale [ARMS] and ARMS-7) are comprehensive and have moderate to high quality evidence for four sufficient measurement properties.

CONCLUSION

From the eight MA-PROMs in COSMIN recommendation category A, ARMS and ARMS-7 were selected as the most suitable MA-PROMs for use in patients with CVD. They are the most comprehensive with be best quality evidence to support their use in clinical practice and research.