Prevalence of Medication Adherence and Its Associated Factors Among Patients with Noncommunicable Disease in Rural Puducherry, South India - A Facility-based Cross-sectional Study

Background: Trends in morbidity and mortality due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are rising because of poor control status. Medication nonadherence is one of the most common and modifiable causes of inadequate control status.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of drug adherence among patients with NCD in rural Puducherry.

Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was done among 260 patients with NCD receiving treatment from rural primary health center in Puducherry during February and March 2018. Information regarding sociodemographic profile and household was collected using pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was done to assess the adherence. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) to identify the factors associated with medication adherence.

Results: Among the 260 participants, 42.7% belonged to elderly age group; 66.2% were females; 44% did not have any formal education; 70% were unemployed. The majority were suffering from hypertension (71.2%) followed by diabetes (56.2%). This study found that almost one-third (32.7%) of the study participants were not properly adherent to medications. Elderly [aPR 2.51 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.70-3.70] and female participants (aPR 1.64 95% CI: 1.04-2.58) were found to have more chance being nonadherent to medications after adjusting for possible confounding variables.

Conclusion: This study reported that almost one-third of the study participants were nonadherent to medications. Elderly age group and female gender were found to be the determinants of nonadherence. Corrective measures need to be started at patient level first by motivating and educating them regarding the importance of drug intake.