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Research article
Raniya Ali Al-Matari
Howard University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3452-9765
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Non-adherence to medication can lead to poor health outcomes. Studies report the rates of medication adherence for US born persons, but little is known about estimates among foreign-born persons; in particular those of Ethiopian descent residing in the US. This study addresses this issue by examining medication adherence and associated factors among Ethiopians.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the level of medication adherence and to assess its predictors among urban adult Ethiopians who were administered a translated and validated Amharic-version of the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ). The participant had to be 1) Ethiopian 2) understand Amharic language, 3) ages 18 to 85 years, and 4) taking medications continuously to manage a medical condition. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate predictors of medication adherence. All analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 19 at an alpha level of 0.05.
Results
A total of 163 Ethiopians with chronic diseases were recruited. Their mean age was 56.6 years and the majority were female 54% and born in Ethiopia (95.7%). The overall adherence level in this population was 34.4%. Participants who were less likely to adhere to medications included those who had difficulty in communicating in English (p-value=0. 019). Self-reported high activity level, healthy diet, belief in holy water and spiritual healing, and higher education levels were also found to be statistically significant predictors of medication adherence adjusting for all other variables.
Conclusion
Difficulty in communicating in English was significantly related to poor medication adherence to in Ethiopian adults and indicates that health care providers should develop patient educational materials in Amharic to better serve these patients. Factors significantly related to medication adherence seem to cluster in self-care (healthy eating, not in relying on some cultural practices for healing as a replacement for medications and being active) in addition to attaining college or above education. Consideration of these factors in developing treatment plans and interventions for this diverse population may yield better outcomes. Key words: Medication adherence, Ethiopian, Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire
Keywords
Medication adherence, Ethiopian, Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire
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This is a preprint. It has not completed peer review.
Research article
Raniya Ali Al-Matari
Howard University
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3452-9765
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 12 Dec, 2019
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Non-adherence to medication can lead to poor health outcomes. Studies report the rates of medication adherence for US born persons, but little is known about estimates among foreign-born persons; in particular those of Ethiopian descent residing in the US. This study addresses this issue by examining medication adherence and associated factors among Ethiopians.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the level of medication adherence and to assess its predictors among urban adult Ethiopians who were administered a translated and validated Amharic-version of the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ). The participant had to be 1) Ethiopian 2) understand Amharic language, 3) ages 18 to 85 years, and 4) taking medications continuously to manage a medical condition. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate predictors of medication adherence. All analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 19 at an alpha level of 0.05.
Results
A total of 163 Ethiopians with chronic diseases were recruited. Their mean age was 56.6 years and the majority were female 54% and born in Ethiopia (95.7%). The overall adherence level in this population was 34.4%. Participants who were less likely to adhere to medications included those who had difficulty in communicating in English (p-value=0. 019). Self-reported high activity level, healthy diet, belief in holy water and spiritual healing, and higher education levels were also found to be statistically significant predictors of medication adherence adjusting for all other variables.
Conclusion
Difficulty in communicating in English was significantly related to poor medication adherence to in Ethiopian adults and indicates that health care providers should develop patient educational materials in Amharic to better serve these patients. Factors significantly related to medication adherence seem to cluster in self-care (healthy eating, not in relying on some cultural practices for healing as a replacement for medications and being active) in addition to attaining college or above education. Consideration of these factors in developing treatment plans and interventions for this diverse population may yield better outcomes. Key words: Medication adherence, Ethiopian, Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire
This preprint is available for download as a PDF.
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