Application of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model of Medication-Taking Behavior in People With Diabetes

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine a hypothetical model of medication-taking behavior in individuals with type 2 diabetes based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model and to investigate pathways depending on the presence of depressive symptoms. METHODS: This study employed a theory-driven, cross-sectional correlational design and used path analysis to examine the hypothesized relationships. Participants comprised 325 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea. Structured questionnaires were used to measure IMB-model-driven variables: medication knowledge (information), health beliefs about medication (cognitive motivation), depressive symptoms (affective motivation), medication self-efficacy (behavioral skills), and medication-taking behavior (behavioral change). Path analysis was conducted using AMOS 26.0, and multigroup analysis examined structural pathway differences between individuals with and without depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Medication self-efficacy and health beliefs about medication directly influenced medication-taking behavior, and depressive symptoms had an indirect effect through self-efficacy. The path from medication self-efficacy to medication-taking behavior was significantly stronger among individuals with depressive symptoms compared to those without depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide empirical support for the model, demonstrating that behavioral skills are a crucial mediator in the relationships between motivation and medication-taking behavior.