چكيده لاتين :
Asthma affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, Poor compliance with the
prescribed medication leads to increased mortality and morbidity, Various determinants of
compliance have been described, The purpose of this study was to determine factors that can
influence patientsי compliance with prescribed Metered Dose Inhaler drugs.
179 patients with diagnosis of asthma were selected from two asthma clinics in Tehran.
160 of them met the inclusion criteria. Collected data consisted of patientsי demographic
data, asthma symptoms and severity, medical history of patients and their attitude towards
asthma control and using drugs. Compliance was assessed by four questions regarding using
Metered Dose Inhaler drugs.
There was a significant correlation between compliance and patientיs literacy level,
attitude about using drugs, and their knowledge about asthma (p=0.012, p=O.OOOl, p=O.OOl
respectively). However there was significant negative correlation between symptom control
score and compliance (r =-0.270, p=0.004), Other factors including sex, patientsי attitude
about asthma control and severity of asthma did not show any significant relation.
There are four major factors influencing the patientsי compliance: level of literacy,
attitude towards asthma management, knowledge about asthma, and symptom control. The
negative relation between compliance and symptom control may be caused by patientsי
inadequate knowledge towards continuing treatment after improvement in their conditions.
The study emphasizes on the importance of enhancing the patientsי compliance. This could
be done by providing patients with adequate information about their disease and treatment
