ADHERENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS IN NORTHERN GREECE.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Adherence as a concept includes various types of health-related behavior. Better medical adherence leads to improved disease control and fewer diabetes-related complications. Quality of life and medication adherence are interrelated. Patients with diabetes who adhere to their treatment can experience an improvement in quality of life and vice versa. AIM: To assess treatment adherence in patients with type II diabetes, as well as the connection between adherence and quality of life. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive non-experimental study was conducted in a provincial hospital in Northern Greece. The sample examined was a convenience sample consisting of 108 patients with type II diabetes mellitus. They completed the "Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire" and SF-36 "Quality of Life Questionnaire". RESULTS: Participants demonstrated good adherence to diet and blood test / blood glucose test routines, but did not experience high levels of quality of life. The type of treatment affected the adherence to blood tests with a statistically significant difference (p=0,000). Also, marital status affected mental health with a statistically significant difference (p=0,032). The adherence sub scales are correlated with the all domains of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, it is important to plan interventions to enhance adherence to other types of treatment and to help patients to further improve their quality of life.