Predictors of Adherence to Type 2 Diabetes Medication

Background: Despite the effectiveness of drug therapy in diabetes management high rates of poor adherence persist. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing the medication adherence and dietary regiment in type2 diabetic patients. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 300 type2 diabetic patients referred to General Internal Medicine Clinic, Yazd Shohdaye Kargar Hospital, Yazd City, central Iran between September and December 2013. Each consented participant was interviewed by a trained study member using a questionnaire in three sections: Socio-demographic questions, self-reported Morisky medication adherence scale and Disease and medication beliefs Patient’s questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression model was developed to identify independent predictors of poor adherence. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Patients had diabetes for an average of 8.87 (SD: 6.0) yr with a mean age of 58.22 (SD: 10.27) yr. Totally, 101(33.7%) of the patients reported poor adherence with their diabetes medication. In multivariate analyses, good familial support (OR=0.11; 0.03, 0.37), and tendency to consume sweets (OR=1.21; 1.05, 1.39), belief about medication (OR=0.02; 0.018, 0.07) and tendency to consume vegetables (OR=0.75; 0.65, 0.88) were considered as predictive factors for poor adherence. Conclusions: Familial support, belief about medication, tendency to consume sweets and vegetables are logical goals for educational interventions to modify diabetes self-management.