Prevalence and Predictors of Poor Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in an Urban Health Clinic Setting

Poor medication adherence may contribute to low hypertension control rates. In 2005, 295 hypertensive patients who reported taking antihypertensive medication were administered a telephone questionnaire including an 8-item scale assessing medication adherence. Overall, 35.6%, 36.0%, and 28.4% of patients were determined to have good, medium, and poor medication adherence, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, adults younger than 50 years and 51 to 60 years were 1.39 (95% confidence interval CI, 0.56-3.42) and 1.53 (95% CI, 0.64-3.66), respectively, times more likely to be less adherent when compared with their counterparts who were older than 60 years. Black adults and men were 4.30 (95% CI, 1.06-17.5) and 2.45 (95% CI, 1.04-5.78) times more likely to be less adherent, respectively. Additionally, caring for dependents, an initial diagnosis of hypertension within 10 years, being uncomfortable about asking the doctor questions, and wanting to spend more time with the doctor if possible were associated with poor medication adherence. The current study identified a set of risk factors for poor antihypertensive medication adherence in the urban setting.