Summary
A major challenge in the treatment of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is the prevalence of low rates of adherence to the treatment regimen for individual components by the affected persons. This study aimed to estimate the medication adherence level among those with metabolic syndrome, determine the factors significantly associated with low adherence to medication, and explore the reasons for poor adherence to medication.
This study was conducted among the metabolic syndrome patients attending the lifestyle clinic of a tertiary care hospital in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, India.
Qualitative in-depth interview guidelines by the UCLA CHPR’s Health DATA Program were used for analysis.
Findings: The mean age of the participants was 56.6+11.5 years with a female preponderance of 108 (51.5%). Medication adherence was low in 90 (42.7%) participants. A high degree of adherence was noted only in 41 (19.4%) participants. Analysis revealed that patients on both oral drugs and insulin, patients with higher perceived stress levels, and those on low levels of physical activity were significantly associated with poor adherence.
Regular counseling and reinforcement by the treating physician to improve adherence to medication at the grassroots level is important. Information, education, and communication and behavior change communication methods can be adopted to improve knowledge and to bring about a change in behavior in order to curb this problem.