Selected Psychosocial Predictors of Treatment Adherence among Individuals with Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Non-adherence to treatment regimens is one of the most challenging problems facing health professionals today. The current study investigated the role of anxiety, depression, self-efficacy and social support on treatment adherence. Ninety-two purposively selected individuals diagnosed with mechanical low back pain (Mage=37.45years; SD = 5.48) participated in this cross-sectional survey. A 95-item battery of scales (questionnaire) was used in measuring participants’ bio-data, level of anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, social support, pain self-efficacy and treatment adherence. Multiple regression and ANOVA statistics were employed in analysis, with three hypotheses tested at p<0.05. Anxiety, depression, self-efficacy and social support jointly predicted cognition (R=.57; R²=.33; F _{(4, 87)} = 10.64), behavioral (R = .29; R² =.08; F (4, 87) = 1.97) and therapy satisfaction (R = .29; R² =.08; F F_{(4, 87)} = 1.94) domains of treatment adherence. Self-efficacy independently predicted behavioral (β=.59) and therapy satisfaction (β=.25) domains of treatment adherence (β=.25). Self-efficacy, social support, anxiety and depression are jointly predictors of three domains of treatment adherence among low back pain patients. Attention to these psychological factors would be needful in the management of treatment adherence among patients with low back pain.

Keywords: Treatment adherence, self-efficacy, social support, anxiety, depression, low back pain