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53/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 53 out of 100. Risk factors

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

We examined factors associated with self-reported medication nonadherence in well-characterized community-based cohort of older adults. Younger age, physical inactivity, and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with medication nonadherence (Table 2). Neither area-level nor individual-level SES was associated with medication nonadherence. In the medication nonadherent group, 77.4% reported not taking medication as directed because of “poor memory,” 5.4% reported “ran out of medication,” and 1.2% reported “could not afford.” Our results showed that more than one-third of older adults do not take medications as directed. Younger age (66–74 years vs. ≥75 years), depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity were associated with medication nonadherence, but neither individual nor area-level SES showed any associations. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended routine depression screening for adults,6 but in 2020, the USPSTF concluded there is insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for cognitive impairment in older adults.7 However, depression and cognitive screening are included in the Medicare Annual Wellness benefit. Depression screening remains low at 5.3% in 2018,8 whereas cognitive screening is estimated at 16%.9 Our results suggest that screening for and intervening on depressive symptoms, physical activity, and cognitive impairment merits further study to assess effects on improving medication adherence. Although poor cognitive function by MMSE was not associated with medication nonadherence, a large percentage of participants with medication nonadherence reported poor memory as a reason for not taking medication as directed. In conclusion, medication nonadherence remains common in older adults. Our work shows that depression and physical inactivity are modifiable factors associated with medication nonadherence, and among older adults who are non-adherent, forgetfulness accounts for the vast majority.

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APA 7th

Yin, C. Y., Windham, B. G., Kucharska‐Newton, A., Couper, D. J., Lutsey, P. L., Ballew, S. H., et al. (2023). Factors associated with medication adherence in older adults: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18537

Vancouver

Yin CY, Windham BG, Kucharska‐Newton A, Couper DJ, Lutsey PL, Ballew SH, et al. Factors associated with medication adherence in older adults: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2023. doi:10.1111/jgs.18537. PMID: 37528774.

BibTeX

@article{yin2023-37528774,
  author  = {Yin, Christina Y and Windham, Beverly Gwen and Kucharska‐Newton, Anna and Couper, David J. and Lutsey, Pamela L. and Ballew, Shoshana H. and Shin, Jung‐Im},
  title   = {{Factors associated with medication adherence in older adults: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study}},
  journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
  year    = {2023},
  doi     = {10.1111/jgs.18537},
  pmid    = {37528774},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18537}
}

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

Key findings

We examined factors associated with self-reported medication nonadherence in well-characterized community-based cohort of older adults.
Younger age, physical inactivity, and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with medication nonadherence (Table 2).
Neither area-level nor individual-level SES was associated with medication nonadherence.
In the medication nonadherent group, 77.4% reported not taking medication as directed because of “poor memory,” 5.4% reported “ran out of medication,” and 1.2% reported “could not afford.” Our results showed that more than one-third of older adults do not take medications as directed.
Younger age (66–74 years vs. ≥75 years), depressive symptoms, and physical inactivity were associated with medication nonadherence, but neither individual nor area-level SES showed any associations.

Why it matters

In this community-based cohort of older adults, younger age, physical inactivity and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with medication nonadherence, while neither area-level nor individual-level socioeconomic status showed any association. Among nonadherent participants, 77.4% reported not taking medication as directed because of poor memory.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Participants5,164
Effect size58.1%; 22.1%; 39.7%
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 53/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A cohort study following people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	3 / 5	2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	5,164 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.2 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023
Impact for its field and year	1 / 6	Cited 0.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	0 / 4	Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Jung‐Im Shin: h-index 27 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37528774)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	53 / 100	—

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