Predictors of adherence to controller medication in urban African American emerging adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma

Abstract

Background

African American emerging adults tend to have low adherence to asthma controller medication, as well as a disproportionate burden of asthma morbidity and mortality. This study explored constructs from the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model as predictors of controller medication adherence in urban African Americans ages 18–29 (N=152) with uncontrolled asthma using multiple measures of self-reported adherence.

Methods

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized mediation model that specified the relationship among psychological distress, substance use, asthma knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, and adherence.

Results

Results suggested that motivation is an important predictor of adherence to medication; moreover, higher self-efficacy was associated with higher motivation. Results also highlighted psychological distress as an important intervention target to improve medication adherence in emerging adults.

Conclusions

The model tested in this study may offer a feasible framework for beginning to understand adherence to controller medication in this population.

Keywords:

• African American young/emerging adults
• asthma
• adherence to medication

Acknowledgment

We are grateful to our clinical partners and study participants.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by NHLBI grant 1R01HL133506-01 (MacDonell).