Skip to main content

Adherence to asthma medication: The role of illness representations.

Jessop, Donna C., Rutter, Derek R. (2003) Adherence to asthma medication: The role of illness representations. Psychology & Health, 18 (5). pp. 595-612. ISSN 0887-0446. (doi:10.1080/0887044031000097009) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:4453)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0887044031000097009

Abstract

Abstract: The current study explores whether cognitive and emotional representations of asthma are associated with adherence to inhaled preventative asthma medication, as predicted by the Self-Regulatory Model (SRM). Three hundred and thirty individuals with asthma completed a questionnaire that assessed their cognitive and emotional representations of asthma and their adherence to prescribed medication. Multiple regression analyses revealed that including components of the SRM significantly improved the prediction of current adherence and intention to adhere in the future. Age, duration of asthma, gender, and components of the SRM were able to predict 28.7% of the variance in current adherence and 16.6% of the variance in intention to adhere. Current adherence was predicted by age, gender, certainty about asthma status, beliefs about antecedent causes, and beliefs about cure-control. Age, beliefs about cure-control, and beliefs about the duration of one's asthma significantly predicted intention to adhere in the future. It is concluded that future research is needed to test the SRM systematically and to explore the added value of incorporating emotional representations alongside cognitive representations. Such research may benefit from utilising innovative means of assessing emotional representations and should include beliefs about treatment. In addition, the possibility that representations of illness may not influence health behaviours linearly or uniformly across individuals should be considered.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/0887044031000097009
Uncontrolled keywords: adherence; asthma; Self-Regulatory Model; illness representations; emotional responses to illness
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: C.A. Simms
Date Deposited: 29 Aug 2008 16:02 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:42 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/4453 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Rutter, Derek R..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.