| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: to identify salient behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefsrelated to the behavior of adherence to oral antidiabetic agents, using the Theoryof Planned Behavior. METHOD: cross-sectional, exploratory study with 17 diabetic patients in chronic use oforal antidiabetic medication and in outpatient follow-up. Individual interviewswere recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using pre-established categories.RESULTS: behavioral beliefs concerning advantages and disadvantages of adhering tomedication emerged, such as the possibility of avoiding complications fromdiabetes, preventing or delaying the use of insulin, and a perception of sideeffects. The children of patients and physicians are seen as important socialreferences who influence medication adherence. The factors that facilitateadherence include access to free-of-cost medication and taking medicationsassociated with temporal markers. On the other hand, a complex therapeutic regimenwas considered a factor that hinders adherence. Understanding how to usemedication and forgetfulness impact the perception of patients regarding theirability to adhere to oral antidiabetic agents. CONCLUSION: medication adherence is a complex behavior permeated by behavioral, normative,control and self-efficacy beliefs that should be taken into account when assessingdeterminants of behavior. |
