Medication adherence and its determinants among non-communicable disease patients in rural area of Bihar, India: Insights for improving treatment outcomes.

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health challenge globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India. Effective management of NCDs requires strict adherence to prescribed medications, yet non-adherence remains a significant barrier. Understanding the factors that influence medication adherence is, therefore, crucial for developing effective interventions to improve health outcomes. To determine the prevalence of medication adherence and identify factors influencing adherence among NCD patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 241 NCD patients in rural areas in the state of Bihar, India, using a semi-structured questionnaire comprise of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess adherence, Family APGAR scale to assess family support scale, and Barthel's Index to assess functional independence. Chi-square and Fischer's exact tests were employed on IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) to determine association. Only 13% of participants were adherent to prescribed medications. Significant associations of medication adherence were observed with age (<i>P</i> = 0.007), type of family (<i>P</i> < 0.01), and family support (<i>P</i> = 0.003). Participants over 60 years of age and from joint or extended families were more likely to adhere to their medication. Developing and implementing community-based strategies involving family members and caregivers, especially in LMIC, are important for improving medication adherence among NCD patients and, thereby, treatment outcome.