Adherence to Treatment by Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at Monze Mission Hospital, Monze, Zambia

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common non-communicable diseases and among the leading causes of disability, morbidity and mortality globally. The study assessed adherence to treatment by type 2 DM patients aged 20 years and above at Monze Mission Hospital in Monze district, Zambia. Research questions: 1) What is the level of adherence to treatment by type 2 DM patients receiving care from Monze Mission Hospital? 2) What factors influence adherence to treatment by type 2 DM patients? Methods: The study was conducted in 2017. It was a cross-sectional design. Simple random sampling method was used to select respondents and data was collected using a structured interview schedule. Data was entered and analyzed using the modified self-reported Morisky Medication Adherence Scale with six scores, modified self-care management questionnaire and IBM© Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Chi-Square was used to test associations between variables and binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. The Morisky Medication Adherence scale was interpreted as follows: patients who scored between 4 - 6 points on knowledge had high knowledge while those who scored between 1 - 3 points had low knowledge about the disease. Results: The sample size of the study was 138 respondents. The study showed, only 44.2% of respondents had good adherence to treatment as they scored above 4 using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Majority of the patients (55.6%) had knowledge about treatment despite 65.2% of respondents reported distance and financial challenges as hindrances to adherence. The study revealed a statistical association between adherence and knowledge of type 2 DM treatment. Conclusion: The study showed that poor adherence to treatment reduced as knowledge about DM increased. There is need to consider educational programs to strengthen adherence to dietary advice, regular exercise and follow up, to achieve normal glycemic levels.