The effect of medication compliance on the quality of life in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Aim: The importance of quality of life has increased after the World Health Organization defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is generally accepted that quality of life is an indicator of treatment outcome in diabetic patients. In the treatment guideline of type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is emphasized that the primary aim of the treatment is to improve the quality of life. In our study, we aimed to assess the effect of medication compliance on the quality of life in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in primary care. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional study included type 2 diabetes patients (n=165) aged 18-65 years who applied to Çukurova University Çarkıpare Training Family Health Centre between 1 January 2024 and 28 February 2024. Sociodemographic Data Collection Questionnaire, Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) Scale and Modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMMAS) were used. Results: In our study, the youngest participant was 27 years old and the oldest was 65 years old with a mean age of 54.2±7.5 years. Of the participants, 92 (55.8%) were female and 73 (44.2%) were male. It was found that the DQOL scale scores of patients with normal body weight were significantly higher than the obese patients (p=0.042). DQOL scale scores were significantly lower in patients with diabetes-related complications compared to those without diabetes-related complications (p=0,002). The mean DQOL scale score was 3.92±0.5 In our study, the mean score for motivation level for medication adherence in the MMMAS was 1.53±0.7 and the mean score for knowledge level for medication adherence was 1.88±0.7. There was a weak positive linear correlation between the DQOL anxiety/worry about diabetes disease scale score and MMMAS motivation level scale score (r=0.168) (p=0.031). Conclusion: Participant's medication adherence, motivation and knowledge levels were high. Giving importance to preventive health services for individuals in the primary care, providing adequate education on diabetes, providing quality health services, and physicians questioning patients about their treatment compliance at every visit and being explanatory will have a positive impact on medication adherence and quality of life. Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Quality of life, medication adherence, Diabetes Quality of Life Scale, Modified Morisky Scale, family medicine