Factors related to non-compliance with antihypertensive drug therapy

The objectives were to study the associations of perceived health care-related and patient-related factors with self-reported noncompliance with antihypertensive treatment. General practitioners identified all of their hypertensive patients in 26 health centres during 1 week in 1996 (n = 2219). A total of 1782 (80%) patients participated in the study, of whom 1561 were on antihypertensive medication. Based on 82 opinion statements in two questionnaires, 14 problem indices were formed by using factor analysis. Out of these, summary variables concerning problems related to the health care system and the patients were formed. Logistic regression models, including interaction analyses, were used to study the associations with non-compliance. The results were that the majority of patients had at least one perceived health care system-related (88%) and patient-related problem (92%). A high number of both perceived health care system-related problems (adjusted OR 4.77; 95% CI 2.76, 8.26) and patient-related problems (adjusted OR 3.23; 95% CI 1.79, 5.81) were associated with self-reported non-compliance. The experience of adverse drug effects was also associated with non-compliance (adjusted OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.03,1.94). In conclusion self-reported non-compliance was associated with multiple risks of both perceived health care system-related and patient-related problems.