Background: One of the most well-known chronic diseases in the world is diabetes. Disease perception is the patient's organized cognitive representation of his or her illness and can affect treatment adherence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between illness perception and adherence to the medical regimen in patients with type II diabetes.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 260 patients with type II diabetes referred to Gonabad Diabetes Clinic by systematic random sampling in 2019. Data collection tools were demographic questionnaire, Morisky medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), and Brief illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software. And using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The results showed that the mean score of illness perception of type II diabetes was 46.39 ± 9.45 (range 0-70) and the mean score of medication Adherence was 2.93 ± 1.9 (range 0-8). The results of Pearson correlation test showed a significant relationship between illness perception and medication Adherence (P <0.001, r = 0.199). Also, the regression model showed that the dimensions of disease comprehension and personal control from illness perception were significantly related to medication Adherence of type II diabetic patients (P <0.001).
Conclusion: By measuring the level of illness perception, the degree of medication Adherence can be predicted. Therefore, strengthening the illness perception in order to medication Adherence seems to be an important therapeutic strategy in educational interventions. Keywords: illness perception, medication Adherence, type II diabetes