Influential factors of adherence to inhalation drug therapy in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the influential factors of adherence to inhalation drug therapy (IDT) in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A total of 243 patients with stable COPD who visited the chronic disease clinic of the respiratory department of our hospital between April 2022 and October 2022 were selected as participants using the convenience sampling method. Relevant information about all participants was collected by questionnaire for investigation, including basic information, clinical characteristics, inhaled drug names, situational awareness, dose and frequency. Results Univariate analysis revealed positive correlations between the following factors: (1) the total score of drug adherence and the total scores of the COPD knowledge questionnaire (COPD‐Q), social support, subjective support, objective support and support utilisation, (2) the total score of dosage adherence and the total scores of COPD‐Q, objective support and support utilisation and (3) the total score of technical standardisation and the total scores of social support, subjective support and objective support ( p < 0.05). Multifactorial analysis showed that COPD health literacy, number of acute exacerbations in the past year and social support factors collectively accounted for 37.4% of the variable of patient adherence to IDT, as did COPD health literacy, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) grading, duration of COPD, utilisation of support and marital status collectively account for 47.4% of the variable of patient dosage adherence. The goodness‐of‐fit of age, mMRC grading, social support, mode of residence, number of acute exacerbations in the past year and literacy to the patients' inhalation technical standardisation in the model was 47.4%. Conclusion Dose adherence was predominantly influenced by COPD health literacy, mMRC grading, duration of COPD, utilisation of support and marital status. Inhalation technical standardisation was substantially limited by age, mMRC grading, social support, mode of residence, number of acute exacerbations in the past year and literacy.