Medication adherence in hypertensive patients - a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital of Karachi.

Abstract

Objective: To assess medication adherence among hypertensive patients visiting Indus Hospital, Karachi. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Outpatient Clinics of the Department of Family Medicine at Indus Hospital, Karachi. Period: May to October, 2023. Methods: A total of 383 hypertensive patients were enrolled via non-probability consecutive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, which included sociodemographic details and the validated 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Adherence was categorized as high (score=8), medium (score 6-7), or low (score ≤6). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Results: Among the 383 participants, 79.6% (n=305) were female, with a mean age of 53.1 ± 10.86 years. Most were Urdu-speaking (64%) and had a lower socioeconomic background (97.4%), with a mean monthly household income of 35,000 PKRs. Educational levels varied, with 60% having primary or secondary education and 27.7% having no education. Medication adherence was low in 44% (n=170) of the participants, whereas 27% (n=110) showed high adherence, and 29% (n=103) had medium adherence. Significant associations were found between adherence and education level (p = 0.000), monthly income (p = 0.000), and socioeconomic status (p = 0.010). Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for health education and awareness programs to improve adherence to antihypertensive medications.