The Relationship of Health Literacy and Locus of Control to Medication Compliance in Older African Americans

Many older African American adults have inadequate health literacy and are more likely to have chronic illnesses needing medication therapy. African Americans continue to experience significant health disparities in the incidences of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It was postulated that ethnic disparities in medication compliance are related to a dynamic interplay between low health literacy and health locus of control. Thirty older African Americans taking at least one prescription medication were interviewed. Although the vast majority was welleducated, only 53% displayed adequate health literacy. Most of the participants believed they controlled their health, and over half were noncompliant with their medications. Poor health literacy and health locus of control appeared to influence medication compliance in older African Americans. INDEX WORDS: Medication compliance, Health literacy, Health locus of control, Functional health literacy, and Noncompliance THE RELATIONSHIP OF HEALTH LITERACY AND LOCUS OF CONTROL TO MEDICATION COMPLIANCE IN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS