Examination of addiction and related variables of adult individuals with NON-communicable disease registered to a family HEALTH center in Antalya

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the level of adjustment to illness of adult individuals with at least one Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) diagnosis registered in a Family Health Center (FHC) in Antalya as well as some socio-demographic characteristics and health history-related factors that may be related to adjustment to illness. Method: This descriptive study included 329 individuals diagnosed with at least one NCD. Data were collected using Demographic characteristics, a health history form and the Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale (ACIS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis analysis of variance and Multiple Linear Regression were used to analyze the data. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 58.76±6.79, 62.6% of them were female, 53.19% were primary school graduates and 28% had a low level of income. 71.7% of the participants had cardiovascular disease, 59.6% had diabetes, 26.1% had respiratory diseases and 3% suffered from cancer. In the present study, the total mean score of ACIS was 100.01±11.08. 97.6% of the participants were regularly taking drugs and 94.5% of them had regular health checks. The level of adjustment to illness of individuals with NCD was significantly associated with having a respiratory disease, regular health checks, regular drug use, and the general status (perceived health, quality of life) and psychological dimension levels of WHOQOL-BREF-TR (p<0.05). Conclusion: ACIS total mean score of the participants was above the average. It is recommended for healthcare professionals in the FHC to identify risky individuals with low adjustment to NCD (who do not have regular health checks, do not use drugs for a long term, have depression) and provide training to them according to their needs.