Association Between Diabetes-related Knowledge and Medication Adherence: Results From Cross-sectional Analysis

Context center dot Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing health problem worldwide. To have optimal glycemic control, T2DM patients must have sufficient diabetesrelated knowledge and must adhere positively and closely to a prescribed regimen. Medication adherence is a key determinant of therapeutic success in patients with T2DM. However, adherence to medications among T2DM patients varies widely, with estimates ranging from 36%-94%. Objective center dot The purpose of the study was to assess the level of and the association between diabetes-related knowledge and medication adherence among T2DM patients in Pakistan. Design center dot The research team conducted a cross-sectional survey. Setting center dot The study was carried out at the outpatient clinic of a public-sector teaching hospital in Sargodha, Pakistan. Participants center dot Participants were 392 diabetic patients of the hospital. Outcome Measures center dot In addition to the collection of data on the demographic and disease-related characteristics of the participants, the Urdu versions of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-U) and the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (MDKT-U) were used to assess medication adherence and diabetes-related knowledge, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the demographic and disease characteristics, whereas a Spearman rank correlation was used to measure the association between medication adherence and diabetes-related knowledge. Results center dot The mean age of the participants was 50.77 +/- 9.671 y, with males being the dominant gender (n = 222, 56.6%). The mean duration of diabetes was 5.58 +/- 4.09 y. Of the 392 patients, 245 (62.5%) had an average knowledge of diabetes. Furthermore, 282 (71.9%) were categorized as showing poor adherence. A significant but weak positive correlation between diabetes-related knowledge and medication adherence was found for the study (r = 0.036, P <.05). Conclusions center dot Although diabetes-related knowledge among the patients was average, the adherence to treatment was poor. Because patients' knowledge about diabetes was positively associated with medication adherence, the research team believes that educating patients about the disease and medication management can result in better control of T2DM.