Medication adherence and its associated factors among Chinese community-dwelling older adults with hypertension

Objective: To investigate the factors that influence medication adherence in Chinese community-dwelling older adults with hypertension. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 382 older adults with hypertension recruited from six health centers in Macao, China. Chinese versions of the Morisky 4-Item Self-Report Measure of Medication-Taking Behavior, Fear of Intimacy with Helping Professionals scale and Exercise of Self-care Agency scale were administered to participants. Results: Participants older than 65 years (β= .118, p= .017), with a low level of education (β= .128, p= .01), who had more than one other common disease (β= .120, p= .015), were on long-term medication (β= .221, p<.001) and who reported higher self-care (β= .188, p= .001), had better medication adherence. Conclusions: Health care professionals should consider these factors when planning medication regimens for Chinese older adults with hypertension, to enhance medication adherence and improve patient outcomes.