Factors Affecting Medication Adherence of Hypertensive Patients at Huai-Sat-Yai Tambon Health Promoting Hospital, Hua-Hin District, Prachuabkhirikhan

Abstract

Objective: To determine factors affecting medication adherence among hypertensive patients at Huai-Sat-Yai Tambon health-promoting hospital, Hua-Hin District, Prachuabkhirikhan. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study in all hypertensive patients receiving cares at Huai-Sat-Yai Tambon health-promoting hospital in August 2021. Medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Adherence Scale in Thais (MAST©). Patient's stress was measured by the SPST-20 (Suanprung Stress Test 20). Knowledge of diseases and drugs and social support were assessed using a questionnaire developed by the researcher from a review of the literature. The study employed binary logistic regression to predict medication adherence with the following independent variables- sex, age, education, occupation, blood pressure control, comorbidities, duration of disease, stress, knowledge on the disease and medications and social support. Results: A total of 79 hypertensive outpatients participated in this study with mean age of 65.56±10.99 years, 75.95% being female and a mean duration of disease of 7.68±4.12 years. 79.75% of the subjects were unable to control blood pressure. Their average knowledge score was 11.47±2.22 (out of 15). The average social support score was 20.11±4.73 (out of 25). The average stress score was 25.34±4.62 (out of 100). The mean score on medication adherence was 36.10±4.02 points (from a full score of 40). 78.5% of patients had an adequate level of medication adherence. Male hypertensive patients were 8.6 times more likely to have adequate medication adherence than females, which was statistically significant (95% CI of OR or odds ratio = 1.02-72.48; P = 0.048). A unit increase in hypertension knowledge score was associated with a 1.35-fold increase in the likelihood of adequate medication adherence (95%CI of OR = 1.02-1.77; P = 0.034). The analysis found pseudo R² at 0.12 (P=0.007). Conclusion: Patients with hypertension in Huai-Sat-Yai Tambon health-promoting hospital, Hua-Hin District, Prachuabkhirikhan who were male and having higher knowledge scores were more likely to have better medication adherence than females and those with lower scores.