Factors associated with adherence to pharmacological treatment and health control in hypertensive patients of the Specialized University of the Americas, July to October 2021

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is a public health problem that is positioned worldwide as an important cause of morbidity within non-communicable diseases. In Panama it is estimated that around a third of adults are hypertensive. Adherence to pharmacological treatment and periodic health control for this pathology is essential to avoid complications that can lead to death. Despite this, the adherence of hypertensive patients to their medications is low in the world. The main objective of this research was to identify the factors that are associated with adherence to pharmacological treatment and health control in hypertensive personnel of the Universidad Especializada de las Américas. In addition, the proportion of hypertensive patients, the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these subjects, as well as the level of adherence according to the Morisky Scale (MMAS-8), were described. To this end, a quantitative observational study with a descriptive and analytical component was designed. The statistical association between the factors and adherence was analyzed through a case-control model with variables in dichotomous categories using the "chi" square statistic and the odd ratio to measure the level of association between the variables. The proportion of hypertensive patients was 39.9%. A third of the subjects presented low adherence according to the Morisky scale and 8.1% had never attended health care for control of arterial hypertension. Among the factors associated with low adherence that were statistically significant were the use of alternative medicine and subjects with mild depression according to the Zung Scale (ZDS).