Medication Adherence and its Related Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

One of the public health challenges in the worldwide is diabetes, and adherence to treatment is crucial. Adherence to treatment can help reduce the complications of the disease. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the status of adherence to treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes in Khorramabad.

In this cross-sectional study, 392 men and women with type 2 diabetes referred to comprehensive health centers in Khorramabad between May and August 2016 were studied. Demographic questionnaire and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) were used to collect data. Version 22 SPSS and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the data. Significance level in the present study was less than 0.05. Descriptive tests, Chi-square, Fisherchr('39')s exact test, and independent t-test were used.

The mean age of study participants was 56.03 ± 10.91. 68.9% (270 people) were women and 31/1% (122 people) were men. According to the score obtained from the Morisky questionnaire, a total of 219 patients (55/9%) followed the desired treatment and 173 (44/1%) followed the unfavorable treatment. There was a significant relationship between patientschr('39') adherence to treatment with the variables of gender, marital status, educational status, and their monthly income. No statistically significant between age and employment status with adherence to treatment were observed.

Findings of this study showed that adherence to treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes in Khorramabad is in a good level. Health policy makers should strive to ensure that all patients adhere to their treatment process with easy access to services and reduced costs.