Factors Associated With Adherence to Treatment Regimen in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Sari, Iran

As a chronic disease with many complications, diabetes requires adherence to treatment regimen. Despite the importance of adherence, it is not done completely in these patients. Non-adherence to treatment has many personal and social consequences. Adherence in diabetic patients can lead to mortality reduction and success in the treatment of diabetes. Considering that adherence to the treatment regimen is challenging among diabetic patients and less attention has been paid to it in Iran, the present study aims to identify the factors related to adherence to treatment regimen among diabetic patients in Sari, Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on 226 adults with Type 2 diabetes referred to Baghban clinic affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Iran who were selected using a continuous sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic form and the diabetes activities questionnaire. Questionnaires were prepared online using Google Forms. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 26.

The mean age of participants was 53.06±10.81 years. Most of them were female (61.9%) and married (85.8%) with a high school diploma (26.5%) and moderate economic status (69%). Economic status, age, and BMI had a significant relationship with adherence to treatment regimen (P<0.05); Economic status and age had a positive significant relationship while BMI had a negative significant relationship with adherence to treatment regimen. Diabetic patients with better economic status, higher age, and lower BMI had better adherence.

 This study provides a basis for expanding knowledge of adherence to treatment regimens in diabetic patients in Iran. It is necessary for healthcare providers, especially nurses, to pay attention to the factors related to adherence to treatment in diabetic patients in providing care and education to them to have better treatment.