Factors Influencing Adherence to Anti-Hypertensive Medications: A Cross-Sectional Study among the Najran Population, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Background:Anti-hypertensive drugs are a crucial component of managing hypertension, and significant cause of morbidity and death globally. However, adherence to anti-hypertensive medications is often suboptimal, leading to poor blood pressure control and increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Aim: To determine the elements affecting the Najran population's adherence to anti-hypertensive medication.
Methods: An 18-year-old or older population who had been diagnosed with hypertension and were now using anti-hypertensive drugs participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to fill out a self-administered data collecting form to provide socio - demographics and adherence-related data. Anti-hypertensive medication adherence was evaluated using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). To find determinants of adherence to anti-hypertensive drugs, bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed.
Results: Among 208 participants, (57.2%) were married, had a secondary education (34.6%), worked for the government (36.1%), and lived mostly in cities (95.2%). The average score on the MMAS-8 was 4.66 plus 2.53, which indicates a moderate level of non-adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment. There were significant associations between MMAS-8 scores and sex, marital status, educational level, employment status, residency, source of knowledge, and duration of anti-hypertensive medications.
Conclusion: Several factors are associated with non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications among the Najran population in Saudi Arabia. Female sex, single marital status, primary education, private sector employment, and rural residency were independent predictors of non-adherence. These findings suggest that interventions to improve adherence to anti-hypertensive medications should consider these factors and be tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by individuals in studied subgroups.
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| Issue | Vol 9 No 3 (2025) | |
| Section | Articles | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/htaa.v9i3.19641 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Adherence Medication Antihypertensive Non-Adherence | ||
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