Sociodemographic, clinical, psychosocial, and healthcare-related factors associated with beliefs about adjuvant endocrine therapy among breast cancer survivors

Objective: Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) reduces the risk of recurrence and mortality in women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. However, adherence to AET remains suboptimal. Women’s beliefs about medication have been associated with medication adherence. The purpose of this study was to identify multilevel factors associated with women’s beliefs about AET. Methods: Beliefs about AET, measured using the Belief about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), sociodemographic (e.g., age), psychosocial (e.g., religiosity), and healthcare factors (e.g., patient-provider communication), were collected via survey. Clinical data were abstracted from medical records. Two stepwise regression analyses models were performed to assess relationships between variables and necessity and concern beliefs. Results: In our sample of 572 women, mean BMQ concern score was 11.19 and mean necessity score was 13.85 (range 5–20). In the regression models, higher ratings of patient-provider communication were associated with lower concern and higher necessity beliefs. Higher concern beliefs were related to more AET-related symptoms (Β = 0.08; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.10; p < 0.001), lower patient satisfaction (Β = − 0.07; 95% CI − 0.09 to − 0.04; p < 0.001), and higher religiosity (Β = 0.05; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.08; p = 0.007). Higher necessity beliefs were associated with prior chemotherapy use (Β = 0.11; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.16; p < 0.005) and less education (Β = 1.00; 95% CI 0.27 to 1.73; p = 0.008). Conclusions: Modifiable factors are related to women’s AET beliefs. Healthcare interactions may play a key role with regard to shaping women’s beliefs about their AET medication.