Assessment Of Adherence To Anti-Hypertensive Medication And Its Associated Factors Among Hypertensive Patients In Ambo Town Public Hospitals, West Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Adherence was defined according to the World Health Organization as the degree to which a person’s behaviour including taking medication corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. Adherence to antihypertensive medication is key to achieving therapeutic goals and improving patient outcomes. Poor adherence to these medications leads to the development of hypertensive complications and increase risk of cardiovascular events which in turn reduces the ultimate clinical outcome and generates significant waste. Objective: This study was aimed to assess adherence and associated factors to anti-hypertensive medication among hypertensive patients attending chronic follow up in Ambo town Public hospitals, chronic follow up unit West Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2025. Methods: Institutional based crossectional study design was conductedamong 282 hypertensive patients from Nov,2024 to Feb, 2025, in Ambo town public hospitals. Systematic sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected by using interviewer administered structured questionnaires, physical measurements, and a checklist. Data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. The descriptive analysis was used to compute percentage, frequency distribution for categorical data. Multi-collinarity was checked using Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) and invariable logistic regression model was fitted for each explanatory variable. Accordingly, those variables having a p-value less than or equal to 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were taken as candidates for the multivariable logistic regression model. In a multivariable regression P-value, less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant. Results: From the total study participants 179(64.4%), 95%CI (58.4-70%) were adherent to medication regimen whereas rest were not. Married respondents were 2.46 times more likely to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication compared to divorced (AOR=2.46, 95%CI:(1.636-8.300) P=0.009). Respondents who had Tertiary school were 1.48 more likely to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication compared to no formal education (illiterate) (AOR= 1.48, 95%CI: (1.132-6.759) P=0.007). Respondents who perceived to health status as good were 3.8 more likely to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication compared to poor (AOR= 3.8, 95%Cl: (1.330-11.204) P=0.001). Those who live with hypertension two to four years were 2.1 times more likely to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication compared to less than two years duration (AOR= 2.1, 95%Cl: (1.033-4.142) p= 0.040).Respondents those who take medication two to four years were (0.019 or 98.1%) less likely to adhere to anti-hypertensive medication compared to more than five years duration (AOR= 0.019,95%Cl: (0.001-0974) P= 0.048).Respondents those who comply with total number of pills consumed daily some of the time were 2.16 times more likely to adhere to their comply with all of the time (AOR= 2.16, 95%Cl: (1.192-3.913) P= 0.011). Conclusion: Among 278 respondents 179(64.4%), 95Cl (58.4-64.4-70%) were adherent to medication regimen. Adherence to anti-hypertension found to low. Factors such as marital status, health status, Health care facilities, duration of HTN and its treatment were associated with medication adherence.