Structural Model of Medication Adherence based on Health Anxiety, Positive Meta-Emotion, and Pain Self-Efficacy Mediated by Health Locus of Control in Cancer Patients

Cancer is one of the most essential health issues in the world and Iran which is usually associated with significant clinical and psychological discomfort in the optimal use of coping strategies. Therefore، the purpose of the present study was to analyze a structural model of medication adherence based on health anxiety, positive meta-emotion, and pain self-efficacy mediated by health locus of control in men with cancer.

The research was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modelling to test the relationships between the variables. The statistical population was men with gastrointestinal cancer in Golestan province referred to Shafi Hyrkan Cancer Patients Support Center. According to, 227 people were selected through targeted sampling. The research instruments included the Salkowski and Warwick Health Anxiety Inventory, Beer and Moneta Positive Metacognitions and Positive Meta-Emotions Questionnaire, Nicholas Pain Self-Efficacy questionnaire, Morisky, Ang, and Wood's Medication Adherence Questionnaire, and Wallston's Health Control Source Inventory. Data analysis was performed in LISREL software version 8.71.

The results showed that health anxiety, internal health locus of control, and positive meta-emotion had a positive effect (P <0.005) and pain self-efficacy had a negative and significant effect on medication adherence (P <0.001). The source of internal health locus of control mediated the effect of pain self-efficacy and positive meta-emotion mediated the medication adherence positively and significantly (P <0.005).

Health anxiety, positive meta-emotion, and pain self-efficacy are correlated with medication adherence and affect medication adherence mediated by health locus of control.