Adherence to Diabetes Mellitus Treatment Regimen Among Patients With Diabetes in the Tabuk Region of Saudi Arabia

Background Diabetes Mellitus (DM) types 1 and 2 and their complications are becoming more prevalent in Saudi Arabia. Non-adherence to diabetes management techniques could result in inadequate blood sugar management causing treatment failure, the rapid development of comorbidities, and higher mortality in patients with diabetes. Objectives This study investigated the adherence of patients with diabetes in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia to their prescribed medications and examined the association between adherence and other sociodemographic characteristics. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, among patients with diabetes. A validated online self-administered questionnaire was provided to the research participants using Google Forms. Participants were selected using a convenient non-probability sampling method. The chi-square test was used to compare qualitative data whereas quantitative data were expressed as frequency and percentage. Results Overall, 380 participants were enrolled in this study. The study population’s average diabetes treatment adherence score was 9.6 ± 3.3% from a maximum score of 15 (range: 0-15). Overall, 293 (77.1%) participants were adherent, whereas 87 (22.9%) were non-adherent. In addition, more than one-third of the individuals did not miss medication doses or follow-up appointments. However, forgetfulness was the most common cause of missed medicine doses and follow-up appointments. In addition, several sociodemographic characteristics, including marital status, nationality, geographic region, and employment position, were significantly associated with DM treatment adherence (P = 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, and 0.002, respectively). Conclusion Most individuals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, showed adequate DM medication adherence. Forgetfulness was the most common cause for missed medicine doses and follow-up appointments while several socioeconomic factors including marital status, nationality, geographic region, and occupation were associated with treatment adherence. Therefore, intervention strategies and public health campaigns should be implemented to increase treatment adherence among patients with DM.