Factors influencing self-report adherence to treatment in a sample of patients with hypertension in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland

Izabela Cerzniewska ¹ Edyta Gierycz ² Kamila Rachubińska ¹ Daria Schneider-Matyka ¹ Ireneusz Walaszek ¹ Dorota Ćwiek ³ Przemysław Ustianowski ¹ Elżbieta Grochans ¹ Anna Cybulska ^1*

• ¹ Department of Nursing, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
• ² Independent Public Health Care Center in Choszczno, Choszczno, Poland
• ³ Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, West Pomeranian, Poland

Background/Objectives: One of the major challenges in managing hypertension is non-adherence to treatment recommendations. This issue poses a significant barrier to effectively controlling blood pressure and preventing related cardiovascular complications. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the level of adherence to therapeutic recommendations by hypertensive patients, and to determine how socio-demographic and medical variables affect adherence. Methods: The study was conducted among 205 patients with diagnosed hypertension hospitalized in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The study used a diagnostic survey method, a survey technique, and a self-administered questionnaire and the Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale. Results: The overall score for the ARMS questionnaire was 24.32, which is 2.03 points per question and indicates that adherence to therapeutic recommendations among the hypertensive patients surveyed was at a good level. Based on the collected data, it was shown that the older the age, the worse the adherence was. In addition, urban residents adhered to therapeutic recommendations less frequently than other respondents. Conclusions: Patients with diabetes were more likely to be non-compliant than patients without diabetes. And respondents with diagnosed CHF were more likely to adhere to recommendations than other respondents. Age, occupational activity and place of residence influenced adherence to treatment recommendations among hypertensive patients surveyed.