Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Individuals in Panama 2019: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Knowledge and acceptance associated with medication adherence among hypertension individuals in Aceh province, Indonesia

Low adherence to anti-hypertensive medication is observed among individuals in Aceh, the westernmost province of Indonesia. Since uncontrolled hypertension has the potential to develop into a life-threatening disease, exploring medication adherence among this specific population is essential. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate knowledge and acceptance associated with medication adherence among hypertensive individuals in Aceh Province. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2023 on 534 respondents diagnosed with hypertension, who were selected using the random sampling method. Demographic characteristics collected included body height and weight, age, gender, education, ethnicity, and occupation. Acceptance and knowledge were measured through a set of standardized questionnaires while the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 was used for evaluating medication adherence. Logistic regression with a multinomial model was used to assess the correlations of acceptance and knowledge with medication adherence. The results showed that only 28.5 % of the respondents had high adherence to anti-hypertensive medication. Furthermore, a high level of acceptance towards hypertension significantly predicted medication adherence (p < 0.001; OR = 9.14 [95%CI: 3.49-23.94]). Knowledge about dosing frequency, the benefits of low-fat and sodium diets, and the negative impacts of drinking alcohol were correlated with high-level adherence (p < 0.01). Meanwhile, knowledge about renal complications correlated negatively with adherence level (p = 0.002; OR = 0.32 [95%CI: 0.16-0.66]). In conclusion, this study showed that acceptance and knowledge of hypertension correlated with the level of medication adherence.

Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour among Panamanian Adults: Results from the National Health Survey of Panama (ENSPA) 2019

Physical inactivity (PI) has been described as an independent risk factor for a large number of major non-communicable diseases and is associated with an increased risk of premature death. Additionally, sedentary behaviour has been associated with increased overall mortality. We estimated the national prevalence of PI and sedentary behaviour using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire version 2. Using unconditional logistic regressions, the possible risk factors for PI were assessed. Over half of the people included in this study (54.9%; 95% CI: 54.1-57.3%) were physically inactive, with the median time spent engaged in sedentary behaviour being 120 min per day. Statistically significant associations with PI were observed with regard to sex, living area, and alcohol consumption. PI prevalence in Panama was elevated and showed a sex difference (women: 64.7%, 95% CI: 63.7-66.7%; men: 43.4%, 95% CI: 41.5-47.5%). According to our analysis of three-domain-related physical activities, the main contribution to the total estimated energy expenditure of physical activity/week came from the transport domain, followed by the work/household domain, and the least significant contributor was consistently the domain of exercise- and sports-related physical activities.

The Interplay between Conventional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Cohort of Working Young and Middle-Aged Adults: A Prospective Study

Psychosocial and work stress, socioeconomic status, and environmental health directly impact the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases, irrespective of sex or conventional cardiovascular risk factors (cCRFs). On the other hand, the impact of cCRFs on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well known, and the psychological socioeconomic environmental somatic health interaction is often neglected. Accordingly, we aimed to: (i) compare the self-reported HRQoL using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire between healthy subjects and those with cCRFs; and (ii) evaluate the interplay between HRQoL, cCRFs, and cardiovascular treatment adherence. We prospectively included 90 working adults (46 healthy and 44 with cCRFs age- and sex-matched adults) evaluated by clinical examination, 12-leads electrocardiography, and transthoracic echocardiography as part of a cardiovascular diseases screening program, that also filled in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Subjects with CRFs were less satisfied with their own individual health. The presence and the number of CRFs, as well as the need for cardiovascular treatment and the number of drugs taken correlated with reduced scores at the majority of HRQoL domains. The results in the social relationships domain were the best predictor of cardiovascular treatment adherence. Finally, the results of all HRQoL domains were strongly correlated to each other demonstrating the psychological socioeconomic environmental somatic health interaction.