Medication adherence and health-related quality of life among people with diabetes in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism Vol. 6; no. 5; pp. e444 - n/a
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Sabrina, Saif-Ur-Rahman, K M, Dhungana, Raja Ram, Ganbaatar, Gantsetseg, Ashraf, Fatema, Yano, Yuichiro, Miura, Katsuyuki, Ahmed, M S A Mansur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Antidiabetics; Blood pressure; Chronic illnesses; Cross-sectional studies; determinants; Diabetes; Disease; Hospitals; medication adherence; Older people; Patient compliance; Population; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Bangladesh; determinants; medication adherence; quality of life; diabetes
• ISSN: 2398-9238; 2398-9238
• DOI: 10.1002/edm2.444

Good adherence to anti-diabetic medications is an important protective factor for decreasing diabetes-related complications and disabilities but its association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is understudied. The current study aimed to assess an association between medication adherence to anti-diabetic drugs and HRQoL among people with diabetes in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 480 people with diabetes aged between 50 and 70 years, who attended a tertiary-level hospital in Dhaka city. We used the EuroQol-5 Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) to measure HRQoL and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale to assess the level of medication adherence to anti-diabetic drugs. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the significance of relevant factors. The mean age of the participants was 59.0 (standard deviation [SD], 7.0) years. The majority of the participants (74%) had a lower level of medication adherence. The mean value of (EQ-5D-5L) was 2.0 (SD, 1.0). The percentage of severe disability in different domains were 6.7% for mobility, 3.5% for self-care, 11.9% for usual daily activities, 11.9% for pain/discomfort and 11.3% for anxiety. After adjusting for age, sex, years of education, household expenditure, hypertension, duration of diabetes, glycemic status and multi-morbidities; low adherence to anti-diabetic medication was inversely associated with pain (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08-0.80; p = .036), and positively associated with anxiety (OR, 7.18; 95% CI, 1.03-9.59; p = .043). Low medication adherence to anti-diabetic drugs was associated with anxiety and pain among the EQ-5D-5L indexes measured in people with diabetes in Dhaka, Bangladesh.