Impact of patients' knowledge of hypertension on adherence to antihypertensive drugs in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Hypertension is a common disease in Saudi Arabia. Non adherence to hypertension treatment is a common reason for failure to reach the target blood pressure. Multiple studies have shown a direct relationship between patients' knowledge of hypertension and their adherence level to antihypertensive drugs. Aim: The study's aim is to identify the association between hypertension knowledge and adherence to antihypertensive drugs among hypertensive patients in Qassim region. Methods: A cross sectional study performed in the Family Medicine clinics of Qassim University Medical City. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among hypertensive patients. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic characteristics, General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) and Hypertension Knowledge Test (HKT). Results: Of the 452 hypertensive patients, 56.4% were females and 36.1% were aged between 31 to 50 years old. The overall mean GMAS score was 28.1 (SD 5.15), with 51.3% categorized as having high adherence. The overall mean HKT score was 12.6 (SD 3.75), wherein 58.4% was considered to have average hypertension knowledge. There was a notable positive correlation between the GMAS score and the HKT score. Conclusion: Patients with hypertension in Qassim region showed a high level of adherence to their antihypertensive drugs and only moderate knowledge of their disease. Greater drug adherence is more common in patients who are aware of their disease than in other hypertension patients. More investigations are required to determine the level of knowledge and adherence among hypertension patients in our region.