Questionnaire Analysis and Objective

The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-19) was developed and published in 1999 by Horne et al. The purpose of the BMQ-19 is to assess individuals’ cognitive representations regarding their medication use.

Question Scoring

The questionnaire includes a total of 19 items and consists of two sections: the BMQ-Specific, which evaluates beliefs about medicines prescribed for personal use, and the BMQ-General, which assesses general beliefs about medicines. The BMQ-Specific includes 11 statements and is divided into two subscales: beliefs about the necessity of medication and concerns about potential adverse effects. The BMQ-General contains 8 statements and is also divided into two subscales: general beliefs and concerns about potential harm from medicines, and patients’ thoughts regarding certain aspects of medicine overuse. All responses are given on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

Statistical Analysis

Participants are asked to express, based on their personal opinion, the degree to which they agree or disagree with each statement by circling a number (1) to (5). All statements reflect the opinions of other people about their own medication or about medicines in general. There are no right or wrong answers—only the personal views of the participant.

Validity and Reliability

According to the primary study conducted by the original researchers (Horne, Weinman, Hankins), the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the questionnaire in the main sample ranged from 0.6 to 0.83, indicating moderate to relatively good internal consistency.
For participants taking asthma medication:
α = 0.80 for Specific Necessity, α = 0.75 for Specific Concerns, α = 0.74 for General Overuse, α = 0.47 for General Harm—suggesting overall relatively good internal consistency.
For those taking antidiabetic medication:
α = 0.74 for Specific Necessity, α = 0.80 for Specific Concerns, α = 0.80 for General Overuse, α = 0.66 for General Harm—again showing relatively good internal consistency.
Finally, for individuals taking antihypertensive medication:
α = 0.76 for Specific Necessity, α = 0.76 for Specific Concerns, α = 0.74 for General Overuse, α = 0.50 for General Harm—indicating a generally good internal consistency.

References

Horne, R., Weinman, J., & Hankins, M. (1999). The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). Psychology and Health, 14, 1–24.