Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Inadequately controlled hypertension increases risks of morbidity and mortality associated with damage to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or renal systems. Sub-optimal adherence to antihypertensive medications significantly contributes to inadequate hypertension control rates among the majority of the patients. This study assessed medication adherence (MA) and associated factors among adults with hypertension attending two county referral hospitals in Kenya.
METHODOLOGY
This was an analytical cross-sectional study that was part of a larger experimental study. A total of 328 adults with hypertension were recruited using simple random sampling. The Hill-Bone Medication Adherence Scale (HB-MAS) was used to measure antihypertensive MA while a researcher-developed questionnaire captured demographic and health-related data. Anthropometric variables were gathered using standard tools and standard procedures. The obtained data were analyzed using R software (v 4.1.2). Multiple linear regression analysis was done to identify determinants of adherence to antihypertensive medications. For all analyses, the level of statistical significance was set at P ˂ 0.05.
RESULTS
The participants attained a mean score of 33 with a minimum and maximum score of 27 and 36 respectively. The predictors of better MA included younger age (p=0.02), higher knowledge of medications (p=0.03), improved communication with doctors and other healthcare workers (p˂ 0.001), positive self-rating of BP status (p˂ 0.001) and lower BMI (p=0.01). Most participants considered forgetfulness (80.5%) and running out of medications (76.5%) the most significant factors in decreasing MA.
CONCLUSION
The level of MA was above average. The predictors of better MA included younger age, knowledge of medications, the individual perception that their BP status was better compared to the previous year, and having active and regular communication with doctors and other healthcare providers to address issues related to their disease and other personal problems.
