HEALTH PERCEPTIONS AND TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN ADULTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Background - Clinical and demographic variables are poor predictors of treatment adherence. This study therefore examined the relationships between the patients' perception of their cystic fibrosis and their re ported adherence to physiotherapy, exercise, pancreatic enzyme and vit amin therapies. Methods - Sixty adults with cystic fibrosis completed the Health Perception Scale, Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Ma nchester Adult Cystic Fibrosis Compliance Questionnaire. Results - Rep orted adherence to physiotherapy, exercise, pancreatic enzyme and vita min therapies was not influenced by patients' perceptions of their pas t, current and future disease severity, or their perceived susceptibil ity to recurrent infections. The greater their level of worry regardin g their disease, the more likely they were to adhere to their physioth erapy (p < 0.002), pancreatic enzyme (p < 0.001) and vitamin (p < 0.00 1) regimens. No difference between the exercise adherent and non-adher ent groups emerged regarding their level of worry. Compared with patie nts who believed that they were in control of their health, those who believed that their cystic fibrosis was controlled by others (family a nd health professionals) reported greater levels of adherence to their physiotherapy (p < 0.001), pancreatic enzyme (p < 0.001) and vitamin (p < 0.001) therapies. In contrast, patients who adhered to their exer cise regimen believed that they were in control of their disease to a greater extent than those who did not (p < 0.003). Conclusions - Worry ing about cystic fibrosis and the perception of having little personal control over the disease facilitated treatment adherence. It is clear that patients perceive exercise therapy differently from other forms of treatment.