Determi̇nati̇on of factors affecti̇ng i̇mmunosuppressant therapy adherence i̇n adult renal transplant reci̇pi̇ents

Objective: The aim was to identify factors affecting immunosuppressant therapy adherence in adult renal transplant recipients. Method: The research is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study was conducted between April 2016 and January 2017 in the university and private hospital's transplantation outpatient polyclinics. A total 130 of adult renal transplant recipients constituted the sample. Ethics committee approval, scale and institutional permission and written consent from the patients were obtained. The data were collected via Socio-demographic patients feature form, Immunosuppressant Therapy Adherence Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Using SPSS 23 program by calculating number, percentage, mean, SD, X2, Mann Whitney, Kruskal Wallis and Spearman correlation tests were evaluated and p< 0.05 was accepted as significant. Results: Immunosuppressant therapy adherence mean score was 9.25±1.87 and mean score belief in drug necessity were 7.25±2.65. It was seen that 8.5% of patients have no believe in the necessity of drugs, while 67.7% of patients were high on the necessity of drug beliefs and 65.4% of the patients who found useful to send drug treatment reminder message. Married and full-time working patients have higher perceived social support and some one special support (%72.35). Patients changed working life after kidney transplantation and those living in the city have high level of Immunosuppressant therapy adherence. It was identified that patients who hospitalized twice after renal transplantation have a high level of some one specific social support type and immunosuppressive therapy adherence. the lowest belief in immunosuppressive drugs (4.80) (X2:8.119, P: 0.044) were identified in patients who patients have recurrent hospitalization by reason of posttransplant renal dysfunction. Conclusion: To prevent negative outcomes of immunosuppressant therapy non-adherence developing strategies, using of communication techniques to enhance drug compliance, increasing social support given by health care workers is needed. Key words: Adult renal transplant recipient, immunosuppressive therapy adherence, Non-adherence, Social support