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Adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents in Hawaii

Rachel Lee1, Deborah A Taira

  • 1John A. Burns School of Medicine, 2015 Mott-Smith Dr, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. rachell@hawaii.edu

Preventing Chronic Disease
|May 13, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents was lowest in younger and Filipino patients in Hawaii. This finding is crucial for developing targeted interventions to improve medication adherence and health outcomes in these populations.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) is critical for managing diabetes and preventing complications.
  • Identifying patient characteristics associated with low adherence is key to improving population health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify patient characteristics in Hawaii associated with low adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents.
  • To inform targeted interventions for improving OHA adherence.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of prescription refill claims for OHAs from 1999-2003 (n=20,685).
  • Multivariate logistic regression used to examine the relationship between adherence and patient characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Adherence varied significantly by age and ethnicity.
  • Adherence peaked at age 74 and declined after age 85.
  • Japanese patients had the highest adherence, while Filipino patients had the lowest, relative to white patients. Gender showed no association.

Conclusions:

  • Ethnicity and age are significant factors influencing OHA adherence.
  • Younger and Filipino patients represent key target groups for interventions to improve adherence.
  • Targeted strategies are needed to address disparities in OHA adherence and improve glycemic control and health outcomes.
Abstract

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