Cross-Sectional Observational Study on Medication Adherence Levels among Patients with Hypertension in Community Settings of Coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh

Background: Poor medication adherence can significantly reduce treatment efficiency and impact clinical outcomes, ultimately hindering the effectiveness of patient care. Non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medication is a main cause of poor control of hypertension worldwide. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) data from India revealed a significant proportion of individuals have had their blood pressure measured, with a national average of 66.7%. However, this rate has considerable regional variations, ranging from as low as 30.3% to as high as 98.5% across different districts. The southern region of India demonstrates the highest average prevalence of ever-measured blood pressure at 75.8% (Andhra Pradesh with 74.7%). The present study aims to assess the level of adherence and the reasons behind nonadherence in individuals with hypertension. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a questionnaire from October to December 2023. Results: A Total of 217 hypertensive individuals participated. Which had a predominance of females (n=119, 54.8%) and 98 (45.2%) were males. The mean age of respondents was 60.4 years, the majority aged 61-80 years (n= 125, 57.60%). In this study, 63.5% were low adherers, 34.1% were medium adherers, and 2.3% were high adherers. The study disclosed that forgetfulness (20.73%) is among the primary reasons for non-adherence in hypertensive patients. Conclusion: Based on this study's results, improving people's understanding of hypertension is necessary. Strategies such as patient education, patient counselling, and medication management programs could help the identified hurdles to adherence and reduce hypertension-related cardiac adverse outcomes.