PATIENTS' BELIEFS, MEDICATION ADHERANCE AND CONTROLLED HYPERTENSION AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN VIETNAM

Objective: Medication adherence and controlled hypertension have low prevalence rates in Vietnam. Global research has highlighted associations between patients' beliefs, hypertension knowledge, and medication adherence. Despite this, limited information exists on these aspects among Vietnamese hypertensive patients. This study aims to investigate patient beliefs and medication adherence among hypertensive individuals in community health centers in Vietnam. Design and method: In this cross-sectional study, patient beliefs and medication adherence among hypertensive patients were examined using the Belief about Medicine Questionnaire (BMQ) and Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5). Additionally, demographic information, patients' knowledge about hypertension, and data on controlled hypertension were collected. Descriptive, analytical, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 29 software. Results: The study involved 761 hypertensive patients, with 55.7% being men. Findings revealed a mean medication adherence score of 21.8 (SD: 4.6). The MARS-5 score was higher in the ethnic majority (22 ± 4.3) and older patients (22.1 ± 4.1). The mean score for BMQ-Specific Necessity was 18.3 (SD 3.8), while BMQ-Specific Concern was relatively low at 14.4 (SD: 3.8). BMQ-General Overuse and BMQ-General Harm mean scores were 10.8 (SD: 2.6) and 9.9 (SD: 2.8), respectively. The BMQ-Specific Necessity score in older patients and those in urban areas had significantly higher scores than their counterparts in rural areas (p < 0.05). However, no difference was observed in patient beliefs and medication adherence based on gender. Patients with higher education or a high mean score for BMQ-Specific Necessity exhibited greater hypertension knowledge and better medication adherence (p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with a higher mean score of medication adherence exhibited more controlled hypertension. Conclusions: Hypertensive patients in Vietnam exhibit high scores of necessity and low scores of concern regarding medication, with associations noted between patients' knowledge and medication adherence. This study also revealed a low mean score of medication adherence among hypertensive patients. These findings highlighted the requirement for a holistic approach to deal with this concern. Healthcare planners and general practitioners should actively explore patients' beliefs, enhance hypertension knowledge, and promote medication adherence for effective hypertension management.