A weekend/weekday comparison of adherence to daily treatment regimens in adults with cystic fibrosis

Background: Treatment adherence is a major concern in Cystic Fibrosis (CF), with accumulating evidence that health outcomes are worse in patients with lower levels of adherence. This study investigates how adherence differs for adults with CF during a weekday and a weekend day by examining the roles of sex, anxiety, depression, and lung function as predictors of adherence. Participants and procedure: Fifty-two adult participants with CF were recruited. Demographics and spirometry results were recorded. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and two daily phone diaries in order to record their adherence to pancreatic enzymes, vitamins, physiotherapy and exercise. Based on previous findings, it was hypothesised that reported adherence would be higher during the weekend in comparison to weekdays, due to lower time pressure during the weekend. Results: Paired sample t-tests indicated that overall participants had higher reported adherence during the weekend in comparison to weekdays, with sex, anxiety, depression and lung function being predictors of adherence. Conclusions: Clinical implications and future directions are discussed, with an emphasis on the need for further qualitative research. We are now conducting another research project utilising qualitative interviews with participants to further investigate adherence within the CF population. Our aim is to identify the main adherence barriers and to develop interventions to improve treatment adherence in the CF population.