Intentional and Unintentional Non-Adherence: Motivation and Planning Predicting Medication Adherence Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

Background: Medication adherence rates after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) are low. There is a lack of studies looking into intentional (deliberate or reflective) and unintentional (forgetting to take medication) non-adherence in CABG patients. Methods: In a sample of N=197 post-CABG surgery patients followed from discharge over one year, it was hypothesized that motivation, action planning and coping planning are independently predictive of medication adherence. Moreover, interaction effects were tested. Findings: Motivation (B=.30, p<.01), action planning (B=.19, p<.01), and coping planning (B=.16, p<.01) were independently related to adherence. Beyond that, action planning×motivation (B=.06, p<.05) and coping planning×motivation (B=.07, p<.01) interaction terms were significant. Discussion: As theoretically predicted, planning was more predictive in those patients who reported higher motivation towards medication adherence, reflecting the idea of planning being a factor to overcome unintentional non-adherence. Implications for intervention development were discussed.