Investigation of factors disrupting medication compliance in individuals undergoing antihypertensive treatment at a city hospital in İstanbul province

This study was conducted to identify the factors that negatively affect medication adherence in individuals receiving antihypertensive treatment. The research was designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study and was carried out with 208 patients receiving treatment at a city hospital between April 2024 and August 2024. Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, Medical History Form, and the Self-Efficacy Scale for Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Patients (IBOS), all developed by the researcher based on relevant literature. It was determined that the variables followed a normal distribution, and accordingly, parametric tests were employed in the data analysis. In addition to descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc tests (Tukey, LSD) were used for group comparisons. Among the participants, 33.3% were in the 50–60 age range, 52.9% were male, 54.8% were married, and 75.2% had children. Regarding education level, 25.2% had below-primary school education, and 23.8% had a university degree or higher. In terms of employment and caregiving responsibilities, 47.6% were employed in regular jobs, and 24.3% had home caregiving responsibilities. The mean IBOS score of married individuals (56.84±14.18) was significantly higher than that of unmarried individuals (52.27±13.20) (t=2.398; p=0.017). Similarly, the mean score of individuals with children (56.23±13.05) was statistically significantly higher than those without children (50.35±15.53) (t=2.688; p=0.008). A significant difference was also found in IBOS scores based on blood pressure measurement frequency (F=3.419; p=0.005). Furthermore, when evaluated according to the duration of medication use, adherence was found to be higher in individuals who had been taking medication for five years or more compared to those who had been on medication for less than one year (F=2.809; p=0.027). Participants who reported experiencing sources of stress had significantly higher IBOS scores (56.86±14.02) than those who did not (51.89±13.28) (t=2.593; p=0.010). The findings indicate that medication adherence is influenced by sociodemographic and individual factors, and considering these factors is essential in the management of antihypertensive treatment. Keywords: Antihypertensive treatment, hypertension, medication adherence, risk factors, treatment compliance