Changes in Medication Adherence and Their Association With Social Support Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

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Abstract

Prescribing to older adults for the purpose of managing a chronic condition is a critical element in the successful management of older adults' chronic conditions; however, maintaining adherence to medications can be difficult due to demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the medication adherence and its relationship with social support in older people through a secondary data analysis. A quantitative cross-sectional secondary analysis was performed using a publicly available database of older adults aged 60 years and older with complete information on medication adherence and social support. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the participant characteristics, and chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the association and to determine the significant factors affecting medication adherence. Results showed that over half of the respondents did not adhere to their medications. The most typical adherence pattern was stable adherence, but a large number had decreasing adherence over time. There was a positive relationship between the level of social support and medication adherence. Further, education level, income, access to healthcare, mental health state, comorbidities and degree of severity were found to be important adherence determinants. These findings suggest that social support and socioeconomic and health factors need to be strengthened to enhance medication adherence among older people. Family engagement, psychological support, and convenient health care access could lead to improved adherence and health in the long run for seniors with medication management services.