Assessment of attitudes towards antihypertensive medication among Hungarian patients with hypertension using the beliefs about medicines questionnaire: a validation and cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Assessing the beliefs of hypertensive patients about medications is crucial for appropriate and preventive drug treatments. The key to effective hypertension care is the patient’s proper cooperation, which is why it is important to examine their beliefs regarding antihypertension medication use. The aims of the study were to validate the Hungarian translation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and to identify possible factors that might influence the attitude of patients with hypertension towards medications. METHODS: Data was collected in Hungary using the BMQ. 1,067 adult patients with chronic hypertension and taking their prescribed medications took part in the research. Statistical analysis was done to validate the questionnaire and to identify which sociodemographic factors influence the different aspects of attitudes toward medication. RESULTS: The translation showed good reliability and validity. Furthermore, respondents who worked in healthcare were more likely to feel the need to take antihypertensive medications than those who did not (p < 0.001). Also, participants who reported good or very good (p < 0.001) and fair (p = 0.021) financial status were more concerned about antihypertensive treatment than those who reported poor or very poor financial status. Of those respondents, who answered living in towns of less than 1,000 people were more likely to believe that antihypertensive treatment was harmful compared to those living in towns of more than 100,000 people (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: For the identified groups, more attention is needed to ensure that the medication is taken correctly. This requires the promotion of good doctor-patient communication.