The role of perceived control and preference for control in adherence to a chronic medical regimen

Poor patient adherence is a widespread problem among patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease. The goal of this study was to examine the joint role of perceived restriction of control and individual differences in preference for control in predicting adherence to the hemodialysis regimen. Participants were 49 patients recruited from five hemodialysis centers affiliated with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Preference for control in the health care context was assessed using the Preference for Information and Preference for Behavioral Involvement subscales of the Krantz Health Opinion Survey, and perceived control was assessed using six items written for this study. Adherence was assessed by examining patients' interdialysis session weight gains (IWG). Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the interaction between preference for information and perceived control over dialysis context explained a significant proportion of variance in IWG values, change in R2 =.09, F(1, 43) = 5.26, p