Patterns and determinants of treatment compliance among hypertensive patients

Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of pharmacological and lifestyle compliance among hypertensive patients. Patients attending health insurance clinics for prescription refills were randomly selected and interviewed (n = 316). Blood pressure was controlled for 53.2% of patients but 25.9% were non-compliant with medication. Common barriers to compliance were: feelings of normal blood pressure, forgetfulness, drug holidays and drug side-effects. Patients were non-compliant with smoking cessation (43.6%), weight reduction (59.3%), and dietary salt (22.4%) and fat restriction (26.5%). Misconceptions about smoking cessation and costs of preparing special dishes were common. Independent predictors of compliance were: controlled blood pressure, diet modification, drug side-effects, and perceptions of management benefits and susceptibility to related complications.