Abstract
Background:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of locus of control on adherence to a treatment regimen among hypertensive patients.
Methods:
The participants were 100 previously diagnosed hypertensive patients drawn from the Ituku-Ozalla University of Nigeria teaching hospital, using a purposive sampling technique. All participants were individually administered the Wallston, Wallston & Devellis (1978), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale, and Drug Adherence Questionaire (DAQ) by the researchers. A one-way factorial design and analysis of variance with unequal sample sizes were used to analyze the data.
Results:
Internally-oriented patients adhered more to their treatment regimen than externally-oriented patients, F(1.98) = 18.2 (P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Locus of control should be taken into consideration in the review of treatment packages for patients. This is because the efficacy of drugs depends to a reasonable extent on adherence to the schedule. If drugs are not taken as prescribed, their potency may be affected or wrongly assessed.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.