OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of medication non-adherence (MNA) and to explore the reasons that influenced MNA among diabetes patients.
DESIGN: This study used the explanatory mixed-method design. Phase one comprised of a cross-sectional study followed by phase two of a qualitative study.
SETTING: This study took place at two public hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: About 427 diabetes patients were recruited and 399 of them completed the study. The inclusion criteria were those with age more than 18 years and above, Malaysian citizen, able to understand Malay or English, and were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus for more than one year. The exclusion criteria were those with an intellectual disability and pregnant women. Phase two involved 12 participants recruited from non-adherent patients in phase one of the study.
RESULTS: About 46.6% of the patients failed to adhere to the medication. Malays (OR: 1.66, 95%CI: 1.09 to 2.51, p = 0.017), single/widow or divorced (OR: 1.79, 95%CI: 1.05 to 3.05, p = 0.031) and poor HbA1c (OR: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.61 to 4.10, p =
* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.