Objective:

To identify the factors associated with adherence to drug therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without hypertension.

Materials and methods:

A cross-sectional, analytical study conducted with patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without hypertension, divided into an adherent group (n = 145) and a non-adherent group (n = 49), determined by the 4-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4). The associated factors were sex, cohabitation, schooling, occupation, age in 10-year groups and diabetes progression time grouped in less than 1 year, from 1 to 5 years, from 6 to 10 years and more than 10 years. The statistical analysis plan included the chi-square test.

Results:

The factors associated with adherence to drug therapy were identified as sex (p = 0.045), cohabitation (p = 0.045), age (p = 0.001) and disease progression time (p = 0.001). Schooling was not identified as a factor associated with adherence to drug therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (p = 0.289). The older the patient with diabetes, the lower the adherence to drug therapy; the cut-off point was 60 years of age, after which the percentage in the non-adherent group was higher than in the adherent group (p = 0.001). The longer the diabetes progression time, the lower the probability of adherence; in the non-adherent group the percentage of patients with more than 10 years of disease progression was 67.3 % and in the adherent group the percentage was 33.8 % (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

The factors associated with adherence to drug therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without hypertension were identified

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )