Medication adherence among emerging adults: the influence of provider communication and patient personality

ABSTRACT Identifying factors associated with medication adherence among emerging adults (EA) is critical, given their elevated risk for nonadherence and because health behavior patterns during this developmental period persist into adulthood. Patient-healthcare provider communication and patient personality traits correlate with adherence in adult samples, but the independent and interactive influences of these factors on EA adherence are understudied. This study examined the individual and interactive influences of patient-provider communication and patient personality on EA’s medication adherence and adherence barriers in a sample of 399 EA with and without chronic health conditions. Participants (75% female, 77% White) completed questionnaires assessing study constructs (i.e., EA demographics, provider communication, EA personality) and reported on adherence and adherence barriers for recently prescribed medications (43% reported on a new prescription, 70% of the prescriptions were for long-term medications). Provider communication was associated with higher adherence (BCa CI [.032, .260]) and fewer adherence barriers (BCa CI [−.250, −.035]). Extraversion moderated the association between communication and adherence (BCa CI [−10.44, −2.18]) such that individuals with low and average levels of extraversion benefited more from provider communication. Results expand knowledge of factors related to EA adherence and highlight the value of evaluating more complex models of patient and provider influences on adherence.