Effect of Educational Level on Hypertensive Patients’ Compliance with Medication Regimen at a Tertiary Hospital in South West Nigeria

Abstract

The prevalence of non-compliance among 180 hypertensive patients in the present study carried out in the Cardiology unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan was found to be as high as 74.4%. The main contributory factor to non-compliance found in the study is patients’ educational level. Out of 180 patients, 46 (25.6%) were compliant while 134 (74.4%) were non compliant. Among the 46 compliant patients, 29 (63.1%) were educated while seventeen (17) (36.1%) were not educated. Among the educated compliant patients, those with secondary education were 14 (30.4%), followed by those with tertiary education who were ten (10) (21.7%) and primary education accounting for 5 (10.8%). There were 134 non compliant patients accounting for 86 (64.2%) educated patients and 48 (35.8%) non educated. Among the educated patients, 33 (24.6%) secondary educated patients were non compliant followed by 29 (21.6%) primary educated patients and 21 (15.7%) tertiary educated patients respectively. Data on factors that contribute to non-compliance were collected based on patient report with the aid of questionnaires. The study shows that the basic education and not the level of education affect patients’ compliance with anti hypertensive medication in Nigeria.

Keywords: Educational level, compliance, hypertension, tertiary hospital, medication

Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8 No 1 pp. 36 - 42 (September 2010)