Factors associated with patient experiences of the burden of using medicines and health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of multiple medications, is a growing concern globally. This study aimed to identify the significant factors that predict the perceived burden of medication and health-related quality of life. METHODS: Adults, aged 18 years and above who have used at least two regular medicines, were invited to complete the study questionnaires between June and October 2019. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify significant predictors for perceived burden of medication and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 119 participants completed this study. The average age of the participants was 63 years (SD±16 years). Factors significantly predicting perceived burden of medication were participants’ current health condition (p = 0.001), overall burden of treatment (p<0.001) and being hypertensive (p = 0.037). Similarly, participants’ current health condition (p<0.001) and overall burden of treatment (p = 0.086) were significant predictors for perceived health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that hypertensive participants in poor health tended to experience higher perceived burden of medication, which in turn was found to be correlated with lower perceived health-related quality of life.