Rationale, aims and objectives: We aim to investigate a range of risk factors associated with medication adherence among Chinese hypertensive patients. We also aim to investigate the association between medication adherence and blood pressure control.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese hypertensive patients in a comprehensive teaching hospital in Shanghai, China, using a validated scale, a self-designed questionnaire and patients' medical records.
Results: Of the 232 eligible participants, 61 (26.3%), 51 (22.0%) and 120 (51.7%) showed low, medium and high adherence, respectively. Adjusted for socio-demographic, clinical and patient-related factors, antihypertensive medication adherence was significantly associated with better systolic blood pressure control (P=0.001), whereas the association with diastolic blood pressure control was relatively weak (P=0.334). In the multivariate analysis, patients with longer duration of drug use [P=0.012, odds ratio (OR)=0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.84], combination of antiplatelet agents (0.002, 0.38, 0.20-0.71), less concerns of medical cost (0.001, 0.18, 0.02-0.51), more availability of professional guidance (0.002, 0.34, 0.17-0.66) and more availability of family support (0.036, 0.51, 0.27-0.96) were more likely to adhere to their drug regimens.
Conclusions: The rate of suboptimal medication adherence among Chinese hypertensive patients is quite high. Interventions could focus upon the risk factors to improve antihypertensive medication adherence in clinical practice.
Keywords: Chinese; clinical outcome; hypertension; medication adherence; risk factors; social support.
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.