Adherence to treatment in adolescents with cystic fibrosis : the role of illness perceptions and treatment beliefs

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, progressive disease which affects multiple organ systems and ultimately results in premature death. There is currently no cure for the disease and, in order to maintain optimal health, patients are required to follow a complex, demanding treatment regime. Whilst adherence to this regimen is associated with improved health status and longevity, rates of non-adherence are high and tend to peak during adolescence. Identifying the factors associated with adherence in adolescents is, therefore, crucial to CF care.

The review paper critically examines the existing CF adherence literature, highlighting the need for theoretically-based studies. The Self-Regulatory Model (SRM) of adherence is introduced and evidence for the utility of the approach in other illness groups is discussed. The potential application of the model to CF patients is explored, providing a rationale for the investigation of the SRM's key constructs, namely illness, perceptions and treatment beliefs, in adolescents with CF.

The empirical study explores the illness perceptions and treatment beliefs held by adolescents with CF and examines the relationships between these variables and reported adherence to treatment. The findings provide preliminary support for the utility of the SRM as an explanatory model for adherence in CF adolescents. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, focusing on the potential to identify patients at risk of non-adherence and, subsequently, develop strategies to enhance adherence.

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