The Influence of Psychosocial Adjustment on Medication Adherence among Uninsured Hispanic Immigrants Aged 40 to 64 Years-Old with a Type-2 Diabetes Diagnosis
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Williams, Deborah Ann
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Abstract
The Hispanic population in the United States increased from 35.5 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). The type-2 diabetes prevalence rate for Hispanics is 12.8%. Their non-Hispanic White counterparts have a prevalence rate of 7.6% (American Diabetes Association, 2014). There are effective methods to control this disease. Individuals do not receive these health benefits because they do not adhere to their prescribed medication regimens. Medication nonadherence leads to increased hospitalizations because of disability and morbidity in individuals with type-2 diabetes (Brown & Bussell, 2011). There is also an increased mortality associated with medication nonadherence in individuals with type-2 diabetes (Brown & Bussell, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of psychosocial adjustment on medication adherence in uninsured Hispanic Immigrants aged 40 to 64 years old diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. The primary hypothesis was that the greater the individual’s psychosocial adjustment, the more likely he or she will adhere to his or her prescribed medication regimen. This study used a predictive correlational design. The participants were a convenience sample (N = 70) of Hispanic immigrants 40 to 64 years old diagnosed with type-2 diabetes who sought medical care at the five clinics associated with an academic institution in Northern Virginia. Stepwise Multinomial logistic regression was used to answer the primary research question: What are the psychosocial adjustment predictors of medication adherence in uninsured Hispanic immigrants aged 40 to 64 years old diagnosed with type-2 diabetes? The life course factors which were significant predictors of medication adherence in this targeted population were: (a) paisHealth p = .016, p < 0.05; (b) paisVocational p = .008, p < 0.05; (c) paisExtended Family p = .011, p < 0.05; (d) paisSexual p = .033, p < 0.05; and (e) paisPsychological p = .033, p < 0.05. The variables paisDomestic (p = .086, p > 0.05) and paisSocial (p = .602, p > 0.05) were not significant predictors of medication adherence in this study population. Psychosocial adjustment affects how well individuals adhere to their diabetes self-management regimens. Therefore, when providing healthcare to diverse populations, healthcare providers should utilize risk reduction and health promotion strategies tailored specifically for these populations in order to optimize healthcare outcomes.
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Life course health development, Medication adherence, Psychosocial adjustment, Type 2 diabetes, Uninsured populations