MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS ATTENDING SELECTED HOSPITALS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Hypertension is a prevalent global condition and a leading cause of cardiovascular including cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Medication adherence plays a crucial role in the quality of life of hypertensive patients, but poor adherence remains a significant clinical challenge. This study aimed to assess medication adherence and quality of life among hypertensive patients attending selected hospitals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive research design was used, with a sample size of 148 hypertensive patients from NHIS clinics. Data was collected using a modified WHO (2019) STEPS Instrument and analysed using descriptive statistics, linear regression with a significance level set at 0.05. The demographic characteristics indicate that the majority of respondents are within the age group of 46 to 60 years (48.2%), males (64%), married (58.3%) and the level of education is secondary school(43.9%). Further findings reveal that the majority of respondents are Civil servants and Artisans/farming (20.9%) with monthly income of 51,000 100,000 (45.3%). The result indicated that the level of medication adherence by hypertensive patients is low (c=2.36) and the respondents are experiencing moderate quality of life (` c=2.58). Hypothesis testing revealed that there is a relationship between the medication adherence and quality of life of the respondents(P=0.000).The study concluded that while most patients exhibited low adherence and moderate quality of life, improving treatment adherence through interventions that address psychological factors and promote understanding of medical prescriptions could enhance the quality of life in hypertensive patients

• Author details: ALIGWO | CLOTHILDA | CHINWE | l: tildaama75@gmail.com | r: 07063835115, NWOZICHI | CHINOMSO | . | : nwozichi@babcock.edu.ng | er: +1 (512) 927-9521, OKAFOR | NGOZI | A | l: okaforn@babcock.edu.ng | er: 08035273775
• Keywords: Demographic Data; Hypertensive Patients; Medication Adherence; Quality of Life
• Manuscript: MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE