DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i02.014

Pages: 602-607

The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting medication adherence of patients with diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with diabetes being treated with insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. Outpatients of a public hospital, which is located in Aksaray province in Turkey, are the universe of the study. Questionnaire forms were used as the instruments for data collection in the study. The questionnaire was completed by 360 patients with diabetes during face to face interviews. Socio demographic (age, gendder, marital status, education, insurance and income) and clinic variables (duration of diabetes, medication type, disease type, complication and comorbidity), health belief, health literacy level, patient-physician relationship and drug adherence were determined for each patient. The multiple regression analyses showed that education, type of diabetes, diabetes duration, health belief and health literacy level had a statistically significant association with levels of medication adherence (p < 0.05) but there is no relationship between patient-physician relationship and medication compliance. Thus, adherence to medication had related to higher education levels, Type 2 diabetes, longer duration of disease, higher health beliefs and higher health literacy level. Educational and biopsychological aspects of patient’s health are very important for diabetes adherence. The results of the study are expected to provide important evidence-based information on factors affecting medication adherence of diabetes to improve the diabetes management and war against disease for clinicians, health managers and health workers.