Relationship Between Medication Adherence And Quality Of Life Among Older Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives

This cross-sectional study examined 266 patients from the King Khaled Hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia, in order to examine whether there is a relationship between the level of adherence to oral hypoglycemic medication (OHM) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

The questionnaire that were used in this study combined the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and the HRQoL with additional demographic questions. Pearson’s correlation matrix as well as ordinary least squares regression methodology were employed to test the relationship between the Morisky Medications Adherence scale and the HRQoL.

Key findings

Our analysis suggested that the overall score for HRQoL was comparable across all 4 sub-domains of: Physical (PQoL), Psychological (YQoL), Social Relationships (SRQoL) and Environment (EQoL). The mean average for medication adherence (MA) stood at approximately 5. Our findings supported the hypothesis that patients adhering to their medication exhibit higher levels of HRQoL. Furthermore, there was no statistical significance in relation to education as the sample was concentrated at the primary level, suggesting that participants left school at the approximate age of 11. When examining the sub-samples based on gender, there was no difference between males and females regarding the correlation between MA and HRQoL apart from in the PQoL which showed that females had a significantly higher correlation than males.

Conclusion

The reported positive correlation can give healthcare providers confidence and an expectation that there will be more initiatives that enhance MA. Improved MA must be initiated with advancements in medication safety and a reduction in prescription errors.