ADHERENCE TO THERAPY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between medication adherence and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in 120 hypertensive patients. Personal Information Form, SF-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36 QoL) and Medication Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (MASES) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed with SPSS program using percentage, mean value, standard deviation, significance test of difference between two means, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and (sic)(2)-test. MASES and SF-36 QoL scores of the patients were found to be low. Adherence to medication and compliance were found to be low in males, patients using two or more drugs, and those that did not control their blood pressure regularly. In addition, a statistically significant positive relationship was found between adherence to medication/compliance, self-efficacy and quality of life (p<0.001). Regular and continuous adaptation programs addressing patients on antihypertensive therapy will improve the quality of life of these patients.