Determinants of Medication Non-Adherence among Hypertensive Patients in the Community: A Literature Review
Keywords:
antihypertensive medication, hypertension, non-complianceAbstract
Hypertension has become a pressing public health challenge. Pharmacological therapy is an essential cornerstone in hypertension management, but non-adherence to treatment in hypertensive patients remains a serious problem and contributes to the high incidence of complications. This study aims to identify and summarize various recent research results related to the determinants of non-compliance with medication in hypertensive patients in the community. This study was designed with a literature review approach. A literature search was conducted in the international databases PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCOhost with the keywords "hypertension" AND "Antihypertensive Medication" AND "Non-compliance". Literature was retrieved based on inclusion criteria with the PEO approach, namely Population: hypertension patients, Exposure: various factors related to the consumption of hypertension medication, and Outcome: non-compliance in taking antihypertensive medication. Only research results published in 2020-2025 were designated as literature. A total of 218 articles have been designated nine articles met the inclusion criteria and found that non-compliance in hypertension patients was associated with various interrelated factors, namely individual factors: advanced age or productive age, divorced or widow/widower status, obesity, comorbidity, insomnia, use of supplements, dietary patterns, duration of hypertension, psychological and behavioral factors: lack of knowledge, awareness of complications, negative emotions, symptoms of depression, stress, smoking, forgetting to take medication, social factors: low income, living with a large family, inadequate family support, living in urban areas, and health service factors: less than optimal patient-doctor interaction, large number of medications, uncontrolled hypertension, and drug availability. Efforts to improve adherence require a comprehensive approach through ongoing education, family support, effective communication with health workers, and guaranteed drug availability at service facilities.
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