Limited research exists exploring the influence of personality on adherence behaviour. Since non-adherence is a major obstacle in treating prevalent chronic diseases the aim was to determine whether personality traits are related to reported adherence to medication in individuals with chronic disease. Individuals with chronic disease (n = 749) were identified in a random population sample of 5000 inhabitants aged 30–70 in two municipalities in West Sweden. Data on five personality traits, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experiences, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, and medication adherence behaviour was collected by questionnaires. Statistical analyses resulted in a negative relationship between Neuroticism and medication adherence (P<0.001), while both Agreeableness (P<0.001) and Conscientiousness (P<0.001) were positively related to adherence. At high levels of Conscientiousness, low adherence was related to higher scores in Neuroticism. At high levels of Agreeableness, low adherence was related to low scores in Conscientiousness and high scores in Openness to experiences. This study demonstrated that multiple personality traits are of significant importance for adherence behaviour in individuals with chronic disease. The findings suggest that several personality traits may interact in influencing adherence behaviour. Personality traits could putatively be used to focus efforts to educate and support patients with high risk of low medical adherence.

Purpose: Current guidelines primarily use medication levels to distinguish severe asthma from other types of asthma. In addition, severe asthma must also be uncontrolled at high-intensity treatment or become uncontrolled if treatment level is decreased. To date, only a few studies have used this definition to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of severe asthma in population-based samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of individuals with severe asthma in the population-representative West Sweden Asthma Study. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional population-based study, a randomly selected sample (n=1172) and a separate asthma sample (n=744) underwent clinical examinations, completed a structured interview and responded to questionnaires. Severe asthma was defined as at least one feature of uncontrolled asthma despite treatment in line with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) steps 4/5. This treatment level required a minimum medium dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus a second controller or oral corticosteroids. Results: The prevalence of severe asthma was 1.1% in the adult random sample and 9.5% within the asthma sample. Individuals with severe asthma were older and had more symptoms, activity limitations, heart disease and blood neutrophils compared to those with other asthma. They also had lower lung function and despite these impairments, 32% did not have annual contact with a healthcare provider. Conclusion: The prevalence of severe asthma was higher compared to previous studies, and many individuals with severe asthma did not have regular contact with healthcare providers. Due to the high burden of symptoms and impairments for individuals with severe asthma, it is important that the healthcare system implement strategies to improve follow-up and evaluate these patients according to existing guidelines.

Antimicrobial resistance results from inappropriate use of antibiotics and makes common or life-threatening infections more difficult or sometimes impossible to treat. Proper adherence to antibiotic therapy is one among several measures required to prevent antimicrobial resistance. Knowledge of personality traits could help in identifying patients who need support with their adherence behaviour. Previous research has presented associations between personality traits and adherence to long-term medication treatment in individuals with different chronic diseases. However, there is limited knowledge about associations between personality traits and adherence to both antibiotic therapy and to shorter treatment periods. The aim was to explore the relation between personality and adherence behaviour in people prescribed antibiotics for common infections. In a population-based study, 445 respondents reported on their prescribed antibiotic therapy and completed the Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to experience Five-factor Inventory and the Medication Adherence Report Scale. Data were statistically analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, bivariate correlations, multiple and logistic regressions. Non-adherence was estimated to be 9.4%. The most common reasons for stopping therapy prematurely was that the respondent was now healthy and that the respondents experienced side-effects. Non-adherent respondents scored lower on the personality traits Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. A logistic regression showed that higher scores on Agreeableness decreased the risk for non-adherence to antibiotic therapy. In a multiple regression, Neuroticism was identified as a negative predictor, and both Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were identified as positive predictors of adherence behaviour. Preventive measures to decrease non-adherence may be to inform patients not to interrupt the antibiotic therapy when they start to feel healthy and to inform them about how to prevent and handle common side-effects. As associations between personality and adherence mainly have been described in relation to long-term treatments in chronic diseases, the current study add to the literature by showing that personality traits also seem to be reflected in adherence to shorter treatment periods with antibiotics for common infections. More studies in this specific area of adherence research are recommended.

Background: There is evidence that both personality traits and personal beliefs about medications affect adherence behavior. However, limited research exists on how personality and beliefs about asthma medication interact in influencing adherence behavior in people with asthma. To extend our knowledge in this area of adherence research, we aimed to determine the mediating effects of beliefs about asthma medication between personality traits and adherence behavior. Methods: Asthmatics (n=516) selected from a population-based study called West Sweden Asthma Study completed the Neuroticism, Extraversion and Openness to Experience Five-Factor Inventory, the Medication Adherence Report Scale, and the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results: Three of the five investigated personality traits – agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism – were associated with both concerns about asthma medication and adherence behavior. Concerns functioned as a partial mediator for the influencing effects of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism on adherence behavior. Conclusion: The findings suggest that personality traits could be used to identify individuals with asthma who need support with their adherence behavior. Additionally, targeting concerns about asthma medication in asthmatics with low levels of agreeableness or conscientiousness or high levels of neuroticism could have a favorable effect on their adherence behavior.

Asthma is a complex disease presenting with variable symptoms which are sometimes hard to control. The purpose of the study was to describe the prevalence of asthma symptoms, use of asthma medications and allergic sensitization in subjects with asthma. We also related those indices to the level of asthma control, lung function and in particular, cough. An extensive questionnaire was sent to randomly selected adults from the West Sweden region. Clinical examinations and interview were performed in a subset. Of the participants, 744 were defined as having an ongoing asthma - reported ever having asthma or physician diagnosed asthma and one of the following – use of asthma medications, recurrent wheeze or attacks of shortness of breath with or without wheeze in the last 12 months. A respiratory disease-free control group of 847 subjects was also described. According to GINA guidelines, 40.6% of the asthmatics had partly controlled and 17.8% had uncontrolled asthma. Asthmatic subjects reported significantly more symptoms in the last 12 months than the control group – wheezing (79.4 vs 9.2%), shortness of breath (36.1 vs 2.5%), wheezing with shortness of breath (58.7 vs 1.3%). Important complaints were morning cough (42.5 vs 15.5%), cough with sputum production (36.1 vs 6.8%) and longstanding cough (32.5 vs 11.1%), which bothered two thirds of the uncontrolled and one third of partly controlled subjects. Asthma medications were used by 87.5% of the asthmatics, although around 30% of them who had insufficiently controlled disease used only short-acting beta-agonists. Asthmatics also had lower lung function, reacted to lower doses of methacholine that the controls and 13.6% of them had a FEV1/FVC ratio below 0.7. Allergic rhinitis was reported by 73.8% of the asthmatics and they were more frequently sensitized to several common allergens. Approximately 60% of asthmatics from this population-based study had insufficiently controlled asthma and persistent complaints, despite a high use of asthma medications. These self-reported symptoms were supported by clinical examination data. Increased cough frequency is an indicator of a more severe and difficult to control disease and should be considered when asthma is characterized.

Background: Although pressure ulcers, malnutrition, poor oral health and falls are common among older persons, causing deteriorated health status, they have not been studied altogether among older persons receiving different types of municipal health care. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of risk for pressure ulcers, malnutrition, poor oral health and falls among older persons aged ≥65 years receiving municipal health care in southern Sweden.Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study (n = 12,518 persons aged ≥65 years) using data from the national quality registry Senior Alert was conducted. The prevalence of risk for pressure ulcers, malnutrition, poor oral health and falls was calculated based on categorical data from the instruments available in Senior Alert. T-tests, chi-square test, the Mantel- Haenszel test and logistic regression models were performed.Results: The prevalence of risk for pressure ulcers, malnutrition, poor oral health and falls was 27.9, 56.3, 34.2 and 74.5% respectively. Almost 90% of the older persons had at least one health risk. The prevalence of risk for pressure ulcers, poor oral health and falls was significantly higher in dementia care units compared to short term nursing care, home health care and nursing homes. The prevalence of risk for malnutrition was significantly higher among older persons staying in short term nursing care compared to other types of housing. The odds of having a risk for malnutrition were higher in short term nursing care compared to other types of housing. The oldest age group of 95–106 years had the highest odds of having a risk for falls. The presence of multiple health risks in one subject were more common in dementia homes compared to nursing homes and home health care but not compared to short term nursing care.Conclusion: The prevalence of risk for pressure ulcers, malnutrition, poor oral health and falls was high, implying that these health risks are a great concern for older persons receiving municipal health care. A comprehensive supporting preventive process to prevent all the investigated health risks among older persons receiving municipal health care is recommended.