Linking health literacy to medication adherence in chronic disease management from a community pharmacy perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22433535 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lobna Gharaibeh (0000-0002-7490-5465, Amman Arab University, corresponding author), Mohammad Alhariri (Amman Arab University), Saja Smadi (Jordan University of Science and Technology), Tala Alalem (Amman Arab University), Huda Al Riyati (Yaba College of Technology), Rahaf Abu-safi (Amman Arab University), Rama Abu-Al-Roos (Amman Arab University), Wisam Hilow (Amman Arab University), Roaa Hamideh (Amman Arab University), Rana Abu-Farha (Applied Science Private University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1865416 |
| OpenAlex | W7169571904 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 47 |
Introduction Health literacy is an important health determinant that is associated with adherence to medication. This complex relationship affects the control of chronic medical conditions and may offer opportunities that impact the role of community pharmacist. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted through interviews with patients in the community pharmacy settings. The adherence to medication was assessed using the validated Arabic version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Health literacy was evaluated using the validated Arabic version of the Health Literacy Survey European Questionnaire’s short version (HLS-EU-Q16). Results Half of the participants exhibited low adherence ( n = 272, 54.2%), 27.3% demonstrated medium adherence ( n = 137), and one-fifth achieved high adherence ( n = 93, 18.5%). Only one fifth of the participants received counselling at every refill and few participants reported experiencing private counselling in community pharmacies. Most participants demonstrated sufficient health literacy ( n = 330, 65.7%). A smaller proportion were classified as having problematic health literacy ( n = 123, 24.5%), while inadequate health literacy was observed in 49 participants (9.8%). Patients with inadequate health literacy had the highest proportion of low adherence. Significant predictors of adherence included health literacy, geographical region, and individuals’ perception of their health. Conclusion Inadequate health literacy was associated with low adherence. Health literacy, geographic/regional location, and health status were significant predictors of adherence. Community pharmacists play an important role in improving health literacy through interventions that can be implemented in an individualized manner taking into consideration the characteristics of the patients.
Arabic · Community health · Community pharmacy · Health education · Health literacy · Literacy · Medication adherence · Psychological intervention · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medication Adherence and Compliance · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Pharmacy
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |