Knowledge about hypertension and factors associated with the non-adherence to drug therapy

OBJECTIVES: to identify the degree of knowledge of people with hypertension concerning the disease and to verify the factors associated with the non-adherence to anti-hypertensive drug therapy. METHOD: Cross sectional study, involving 422 people. Data collection took place at their homes, between December 2011 and March 2012, through interviews using the following instruments: Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ-Q), Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and a guide with questions related to sociodemographic profile, satisfaction with healthcare service and knowledge about the disease. RESULTS: 42.6% did not adhere to the drug therapy and 17.7% had poor knowledge about the disease. Factors associated with the non-adherence were: complex drug therapy, poor knowledge about the disease and dissatisfaction with the healthcare service. CONCLUSION: The findings reinforce that the complex drug therapy prescriptions, little knowledge about the disease and dissatisfaction with the healthcare service have influence on the process of non-adherence to anti-hypertensive drug therapy.