Type 2 Diabetic Patients Adherence Towards Their Medications

Given that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a common noncommunicable disease that can begin in early life and has a significant effect on the quality of life, it is important to address treatment adherence. While various factors contribute to the development of T2DM, the primary cause is linked to unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity. Adhering to healthy eating and physical exercise is not generally well tolerated by patients with diabetes, and pharmacological treatments are often necessary. However, few studies exist that assess T2DM treatment adherence in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional analytic study at Al Iskan, Al Waha, and Bahrah Primary Health Care Centers, National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to assess the adherence among patients with T2DM via a self-completed questionnaire after participant verbal and written consent. A total of 387 patients with T2DM were surveyed: 269 were males (69.5%) and 118 were female patients (30.5%). According to our findings, 265 (68.5%) participants reported adherence toward their medications, and 122 (31.5%) were not adherent. The most common reason for nonadherence was forgetting to take their medication. Nonadherence is associated with poor outcomes and lower quality of life. Therefore, additional studies and awareness campaigns are needed to identify and address the various causes of nonadherence to prevent further complications and decrease the overall burden of the disease.