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Perceived factors affecting compliance with therapuetic regimen among hypertensive patients attending out-patient department of selected hospitals, Benin City, Edo State Nigeria
Abstract
Developing countries undergoing epidemiological transition face the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Hypertension is one of the major manageable causes of mortality and morbidity. This study investigated the factors affecting compliance with hypertensive treatment regimen among patients attending outpatient departments of selected tertiary hospitals in Benin City using cross sectional descriptive research design. A sample size of 309 was selected from a total population of 946 using a convenience sampling technique and self-structure questionnaire as an instrument for data collection.
Results showed that factors such as side effects of medication (2.94 ± 0.767), scarcity of fund (2.85 ± 0.835), difficulties in assessing the drugs (2.61 ± 0.895), cost of drugs (2.83 ± 0.908), transportation (2.67 ± 0.870), patient consultation time (2.63 ± 0.985), and unavailability of drugs (2.51 ± 0.879) are some of the factors identified as barriers to compliance. There was no statistically significant difference in the factors affecting compliance with therapeutic regimen among the respondents in the selected hospitals (p. = 0.629). There was also no statistically significant relationship between factors affecting compliance to therapeutic regimen and life style modification in 200 (66.66%) and at average Χ2=0.499> p=0.05 while statistically significant relationship exist in 100 (33.34%) of the respondents at Χ2=0.023< p=0.05. Therefore it is recommended that Government should subsidize the cost of anti-hypertensive drugs to make it affordable for the patients; government in conjunction with the health care facilities ensure that pharmacies of the government-owned hospitals are well stocked to reduce the burden of purchasing prescribed medications in private pharmacy at exorbitant prices.
Keywords: Compliance, non-compliance, hypertensive patient, therapeutic regimen hypertension