ADHERENCE AND BARRIERS TO DRUG THERAPY: RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RISK OF FALLS IN OLDER ADULTS

ADHESIÓN Y OBSTÁCULOS CON RESPECTO A LA TERAPIA MEDICAMENTOSA: RELACIÓN CON EL RIESGO DE CAÍDAS EN ADULTOS MAYORES

ABSTRACT

Objective:   to verify the association of adherence and barriers to drug therapy with the risk of falls and the sociodemographic, clinical and economic variables.

Method:  a cross-sectional study, carried out with 117 aged individuals in a Medical Clinic of Specialties for Older Adults in the Southeast region of the city of São Paulo (SP), from March to November 2019. The following scales were applied: Downton Fall Risk, Morisky-Green Test and Brief Medication Questionnaire. Logistic regression was use to verify the association between adherence to the treatment and types of barriers to adherence and the risk of falls. A 5% significance level was used.

Results:  the older adults with low adherence to the drug treatment presented 5.57 times more chances of having a high risk of falling when compared to those with greater adherence, and those with a barrier in the recall domain had 22.75 times more chances of having a high risk of falling, in relation to the aged individuals without barriers in the recall domain.

Conclusion:  low and average adherence to drug therapy and the barrier related to the recall domain were associated with high risk of falls in the older adults.

DESCRIPTORS: Accident due to falls; Adherence to medications; Older adult; Barriers to accessing health care; Cooperation and adherence to the treatment