Family support and medication adherence among adult type 2 diabetes: Any meeting point?

• Published in: Annals of African medicine 2021-10, Vol.20 (4), p.282-287
• Main Authors: Olagbemide, Olanrewaju, Omosanya, Olusegun, Ayodapo, Abayomi, Agboola, Segun, Adeagbo, Adedayo, Olukokun, Taiwo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Aged; Blood Glucose; Care and treatment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - psychology; Disease management; Drug use; Families & family life; Family; Family medicine; Female; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Medical research; Medication Adherence; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Original; Patient compliance; Social Support; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1596-3519; 0975-5764
• DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_62_20

Background: Serious disability diabetes mellitus (DM) cause for patients and their support system-family and friends are enormous. It remains an important public health challenge, despite effective medical therapies for its management; patients' poor adherence remains a global problem. Objective: The study assessed the relationship between family support and medication adherence among adult Type 2 DM (T2DM) attending family medicine clinic of a rural tertiary hospital. Methodology: This was an analytic cross-sectional hospital-based study carried out among 367 patients selected by systematic random sampling method. Relevant data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and clinical data recorded and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were utilized for the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of respondents was 61.7 ± 11.4 years. Those with strong family support that achieved medium/high (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 > 6) level of medication adherence (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1 6.4 [9.1-29.6], P < 0.001) constituted 69.5% of respondents. Family support was also found to have a direct relationship to glycemic control (FPG < 7.1 mmol/l), 65.7% of those with strong family support achieved good glycemic control, P < 0.001, OR (95% CI) = 17.4 (9.2-37.2). The level of medication adherence was noted to be directly related to glycemic control, 79.4% of those with medium/high medication adherence had good glycemic control, OR (95% CI) = 25.0 (14.4-43.6), P < 0.001. Strong family support leads to higher medication adherence level which resulted into better glycemic control. Conclusion: Family support improves medication adherence and glycemic control. Physicians should explore patients' family support system to improve medication adherence level and better management outcome of chronic diseases especially T2DM.