RESEARCH ARTICLE
Factors Influencing Medication Adherence Among Chinese Older Adults With Physical Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Xuewei Wang,
Phanida Juntasopeepun,
Sirirat Panuthai,
Nattaya Suwankruhasn,
Xuewei Wang
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
School of Nursing, Beihua University, Jilin, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Phanida Juntasopeepun
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Correspondence:
Phanida Juntasopeepun ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorSirirat Panuthai
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorNattaya Suwankruhasn
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorXuewei Wang,
Phanida Juntasopeepun,
Sirirat Panuthai,
Nattaya Suwankruhasn,
Xuewei Wang
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
School of Nursing, Beihua University, Jilin, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Phanida Juntasopeepun
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Correspondence:
Phanida Juntasopeepun ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorSirirat Panuthai
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorNattaya Suwankruhasn
Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 17 July 2025
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
ABSTRACT
Medication non-adherence is common in chronic conditions and linked to poor outcomes and higher costs. Older adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy face a higher non-adherence risk. This cross-sectional study in northeast China (April–September 2024) examined medication adherence and its influencing factors among 240 community-dwelling older adults with physical multimorbidity and polypharmacy, using structured interviews at health centers. Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression, with medication adherence as the outcome variable. Independent variables included functional social support, medicine beliefs, illness representation, medication literacy, depression, experience of medication-related side effects, number of medications taken daily, and patient-provider relationship. Medication adherence among participants was at a moderate level. Poorer medication adherence was associated with insufficient medication literacy (p < 0.001), strong illness representation (p = 0.003), lower perceived functional social support (p = 0.008), depression (p = 0.050), and a strong belief in Traditional Chinese Medicine (p = 0.040). These findings highlight modifiable risk factors for non-adherence, offering targets for culturally tailored interventions to improve medication adherence and health outcomes in older adults with physical multimorbidity and polypharmacy.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Supporting Information
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Data S1. Supporting Information. |
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