Medication adherence and lifestyle modification patterns among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus attending primary care setting in North-Western Nigeria.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, leading to hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose levels). It is linked to a high disease burden rate especially in underdeveloped nations such as Nigeria. It is assuming a pandemic proportion globally, with a burden not only affecting the quality of life of individuals with the disease but also adding financial burdens to their families and the nation's economy. Good glycaemic control is the main aim of diabetes management. However, it has been found that the glycemic levels of most patients with diabetes are poorly controlled, largely due to a lack of commitment to lifestyle modification and adherence to medications. This study determined the level of medication adherence and pattern of lifestyle modification among adult patients with type 2 DM patients attending General Outpatient Clinic at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study of 250 adults with type 2 DM aged 18 years selected using systematic random sampling over 12 weeks. The diabetes lifestyle and medication adherence were measured using the Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire (SLIQ), Morisky Medication Adherence-8 (MMAS-8), and HbA1c index. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package For the Social Sciences (IBM®SPSS statistics) version 26. A p-value of < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The questionnaire response rate was 100% questionnaire response rate, and the mean age of the respondents was 54.4± 10.5, with a female majority (58%). The proportion of respondents with higher medication adherence was very low (4%) and approximately 52% of respondents had healthy lifestyles. Among the study respondents, only 23.2% had good glycaemic control. The findings indicate that level of medication adherence and pattern of lifestyle modification among adult patient with Type 2 diabetes cannot be over emphasized. Hence, family physicians and other health care providers should educate patient with diabetes on lifestyle modification and medication adherence benefits to achieve good glycemic control. This will ultimately improve the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes.