Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive processes and medication adherence among community-dwelling older adults. Ninety-five participants (M = 78 years) completed a battery of cognitive assessments including measures of executive function, working memory, cued recall, and recognition memory. Medication adherence was examined over 8 weeks for one prescribed medicine by use of an electronic medication-monitoring cap. In a simultaneous regression, the composite of executive function and working memory tasks was the only significant predictor (β = .44, p < .01). Findings suggest that assessments of executive function and working memory can be used to identify community-dwelling older adults who may be at risk for failure to take medicines as prescribed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | P102-P107 |
| Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2006 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Life-span and Life-course Studies