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Original Research

Medication Belief is Associated with Improved Adherence to Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

, , , , , & show all
Pages 2327-2334 | Published online: 16 Oct 2021
 

Abstract

Background

The prevalence of Crohn’s disease (CD) has been increasing rapidly in China, and the role of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in the management of adult patients with active CD is evolving. Adherence is a key factor in the effective treatment of many chronic diseases.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess adherence to EEN of CD patients and to evaluate the relationship between medication belief and EEN adherence.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted, and demographic information, adherence to EEN, and beliefs about EEN were investigated. Medication belief was measured using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ)-Specific.

Results

In all, 131 CD patients completed the questionnaire and were enrolled in this study. The high adherence rate was 73.3% (96 of 131 patients), and we found that medication belief, residency, medical insurance, and history of enteral nutrition therapy were factors affecting EEN adherence. More patients with a high BMQ score had high adherence to EEN (n = 54, 56.2%) compared to those with a low BMQ (n = 42, 43.8%). Moreover, price, taste, storage method, portability, and purchase convenience of EEN were not associated with adherence.

Conclusion

The adherence to EEN among patients with CD is relatively high and is related to medication belief, residency and history of enteral nutrition. The type of enteral nutrition, taste, storage, and convenience of purchase were not associated with EEN adherence. Future study is warranted to explore the possible role of improving patients’ beliefs in increasing adherence.

Highlights

  • The role of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in the management of adult patients with active CD is evolving. The efficacy of EEN is largely determined by adherence behavior; poor adherence is related to EEN treatment failure in adults.

  • The adherence to EEN is related to medication belief, residency and history of enteral nutrition.

Abbreviations

CD, Crohn’s disease; EEN, exclusive enteral nutrition; BMQ, Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire; WHO, World Health Organization; EN, enteral nutrition; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease.

Disclosure

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81802881).