Assessment of Medication Adherence and Its Association with Health Literacy Among Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Background: Hypertension management relies heavily on medication adherence, which is influenced by health literacy. Inadequate adherence can lead to complications, including cardiovascular diseases and stroke.Objective: To assess the frequency of adherence to antihypertensive medication and its association with health literacy.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, involving 375 hypertensive patients aged 18 to 80 years. Medication adherence was evaluated using the Morisky Levine Green questionnaire, and health literacy was assessed using the Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS). Chi-square statistics were employed to determine the association between adherence and health literacy. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26, with p-value ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 375 participants, 244 (65.1%) were adherent to medication. Among those with inadequate health literacy (n = 177), only 79 (32.4%) adhered to their medication, while 165 (67.6%) of those with adequate health literacy were adherent. A significant association was found between health literacy and medication adherence (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Non-adherence to antihypertensive treatment is significantly associated with inadequate health literacy. Educational interventions are necessary to improve adherence and patient outcomes.