Examination of the Effect of Health Perception on Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Use in Kidney Transplant Patients

Objective: Adherence to immunosuppressive medication is critical for the successful maintenance of kidney transplant therapy. Patients’ health perceptions are influenced by their lived experiences and cultural contexts. This study aimed to examine the impact of health perception on adherence to immunosuppressive medication among kidney transplant patients. Methods: This descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted in a private hospital located in western Turkey. The data were collected from 165 kidney transplant patients aged between 19 and 69. The data collection tools included a Sociodemographic Data Collection Form, the Perception of Health Scale, and the Immunosuppressive Medication Adherence Scale. Data were analyzed using simple linear regression analysis. Results: The mean scores of the participants on the Perception of Health Scale and the Immunosuppressive Medication Adherence Scale were 53.84 ± 10.04 and 48.18 ± 5.60, respectively. It was found that the level of health perception explained 8.8% of the variance in adherence to immunosuppressive medication (F = 16.909, p < 0.001, R² = 0.094, Adjusted R² = 0.088). Conclusion and Recommendations: The study revealed that 8.8% of the variation in adherence to immunosuppressive medication was associated with health perception levels. Identifying health perception levels before kidney transplantation could help predict the risk of nonadherence to immunosuppressive medication, thereby preventing a significant proportion of rejections. Nursing interventions should focus on enhancing patients' health perception by addressing the focus on Center of Control sub-dimension and considering cultural contexts and beliefs.