Medication Adherence amongst Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus and Its Associated Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dehradun, India

Abstract Introduction: This study was done to assess medication adherence and its association with sociodemographic variables, amongst patients with type II diabetes residing in rural and urban populations of Dehradun, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 400 type II diabetes patients aged 30 years and above. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, clinical characteristics and medication adherence measured by the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Statistical analysis involved Chi-square test to determine the associations between adherence and other variables. The manuscript was prepared in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Results: The prevalence of medication adherence was 43.5%. Significant associations were found with education, residence, type of family, body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes and tobacco intake. Barriers to adherence included forgetfulness, perceived absence of symptoms and lack of time to visit health centres. Conclusions: Medication adherence amongst type II diabetes patients in Dehradun is suboptimal and influenced by addressing the modifiable factors such as BMI, tobacco use and education.