Determinants Of Adherence To Oral Antidiabetic Medication Among Type 2 Diabetes Melitus (T2DM) Patients

Abstract

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing rapidly and has become a major contributing factor to several other diseases. Patients’ adherence to oral antidiabetic medication is a key determinant of successful diabetes management and therefore warrants specific attention. This study aimed to identify factors associated with adherence to oral antidiabetic medication. A cross-sectional design was employed involving 109 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at a Public Health Center in West Aceh Regency, covering 24 villages. Respondents were selected using stratified random sampling. Medication adherence was measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8). The results showed that 78% of respondents were non-adherent to oral antidiabetic medication. Factors significantly associated with medication adherence included occupation (p = 0.000; RR = 5.3; 95% CI: 2.39–11.63), duration of diabetes (p = 0.041; RR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63–0.98), number of medications taken daily (p = 0.006; RR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.09–1.72), and the use of herbal medicine (p = 0.001; RR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.17–1.86). Regular monthly meetings involving community health cadres, diabetic patients, and their families are recommended as educational forums to improve medication adherence. Further research is needed to determine the most effective type of educational intervention to enhance adherence to oral antidiabetic therapy.