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Obedience and motivation as mechanisms for adherence to medication: a study in obese type 2 diabetic patients

Authors Reach G 

Published 19 October 2011 Volume 2011:5 Pages 523—531

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S24518

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Gérard Reach
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolic Diseases, Avicenne Hospital APHP, and EA 3412, CRNH-IdF, Paris 13 University, Bobigny, France

Objective: To clarify the mechanisms of adherence.
Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter French study using a self-questionnaire administered by 116 general practitioners to 782 obese type 2 diabetic patients.
Results: The analysis of 670 completed questionnaires revealed a strong association between the adherence to medication and the behavior of fastening the seatbelt when seated in the rear of a car. Multivariate analysis indicated that this behavior was an independent determinant of adherence to medication (odds ratio [OR] 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–3.6, P < 0.001) with the same OR as the motivation to adhere to medical prescriptions (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3–3.6, P = 0.003) in a model with good accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.774). A multiple correspondence analysis suggested that adherence to medication and seatbelt behavior are “homologous” behaviors, with homology between phenomena defined by the fact that they share a common etiology.
Conclusion: Adherence may have two dimensions: passive (obedience, the main determinant of seatbelt behavior) and active (motivation). This conclusion has theoretical and practical implications. Firstly, empowerment through patient education can be defined as a process that replaces the passive mechanism of adherence in patients’ minds with an active, conscious choice. Secondly, recognizing these two dimensions may help to establish a tailored patient-physician relationship to prevent nonadherence.

Keywords: adherence, compliance, motivation, obedience, reactance, patience, seatbelt, medication

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