Abstract:
The purposes of this predictive correlational research were to study medication adherence to regimens and to examine the predictability of predicting factors; perceived benefits to medication, perceived severity, perceived barriers to medication, comorbidity, stigma and social support of medication adherence to regimens among retreatment patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. 132 among retreatment patients with pulmonary tuberculosis selected by multi-stage random sampling, who visiting TB clinics in 3 regional hospitals; Central Chest Institute, Phramongkutklao Hospital, and Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital University of Bangkok Metropolis. The instruments were demographic data and comorbidity, medication adherence to regimens, perceived benefits to medication, perceived severity, perceived barriers to medication, stigma and social support questionnaires. All questionnaires were tested for content validities by five experts. The Cronbachs alpha coefficients of all questionnaires were .79, .85, .79, .77, .86 and .92 respectively. Multiple regression were used in statistical analysis. The major findings were as follows:
1. Mean score of medication adherence to regimens among retreatment patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was at a good level (X bar = 25.36, SD = 2.57). 2. Perceived benefits to medication, social support, and perceived severity were positively related to medication adherence to regimens among retreatment patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (r = .774, .707, and .604, respectively,. p < .05). Perceived barriers to medication and comorbidity were negatively related to medication adherence to regimens of among retreatment patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (r = -.522 and-.328, p < .05). 3. Perceived benefits to medication, perceived severity, perceived barriers to medication stigma, comorbidity and social support increase the explained variance in medication adherence. Variables accounted for 78.1 % of total variance in medication adherence. (R² = .781, p < .05).