Hypertension is a silent killer effecting large global population. Compliance to medical advice has been identified as the effective control measure. Studies regarding compliance among hypertensive patients in Saudi Arabia are scarce, making it difficult to develop control strategies. This study was conducted to evaluate compliance and adherence to medical advice of hypertensive patients who were registered with Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh and assess the effect of patient and disease related factors on this compliance.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study using a structured self-administered questionnaire was conducted in governmental PHCCS of Riyadh city. A stratified single stage random sampling technique was used to identify the PHCCs. Sample size of 400 was calculated and was allocated to each center, proportionate to the hypertensive patients registered in each center. Data was collected by principal investigator and nurses working in chronic disease clinics at the PHCCs. Data was analyzed using SPSS software.
Results
Out of 400 participants 44.3% always remembered to take their high BP pill while 52.8% only rook their BP medication occasionally. 26.8% sometimes missed taking BP pills when they felt better. Only 20.0% follow a special diet for hypertension and 25.3% regularly exercise. Bivariate analysis with a cumulative adherence score showed that females were more compliant (P<0.001), university educated were more compliant (P=0.034); while age, income, duration of illness, number of antihypertensive pills and knowledge of the disease had no statistically significant association.
Conclusion
Very few patients are strictly following the medical advice, but the majority of patients have a reasonable compliance. Other than being female or positive effect of physicians advice on physical activity, not many factors studied showed a significant association with compliance.