author = {Kazaure, Amina. and Abubakar, Aisha. and Ibrahim, Mohammed. and Gidado, Saeed. and Sabitu, Kabir. and Nguku, Patrick.}, title = {{Factors for nonadherence to antihypertensive drugs among Federal Civil Servants attending health facilities − Abuja, FCT}}, journal ={Sub-Saharan African Journal of Medicine}, volume ={4}, number ={1}, pages = {20-25}, doi = {10.4103/ssajm.ssajm_46_16}, year = {2017}, abstract ={Introduction: Hypertension affects approximately one billion people worldwide. Three hundred and forty million of these in economically developed and 340 million in economically-developing countries. The World Heart Federation reports that in the developed world, about 330 million people have hypertension, and about 640 million in the developing world. Estimates indicate that up to three quarters of the world’s hypertensive population will be in economically developing countries by the year 2025. Non-adherence to antihypertensive drugs is one of the most important causes of uncontrolled blood pressure. Materials and Methods: Between August 2013 and June 2014, we enrolled 424 hypertensive patients in a cross-sectional study using systematic sampling technique. The Morisky Green test for non-adherence was used to assess non-adherence to drugs. Information was collected regarding socio-demographic, drug related and healthcare service delivery factors to patient non-adherence using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted using Epi info software. Results: The level of non-adherence was 69.1%. Factors that were independently associated with non-adherence were; being a Junior Civil Servant (OR 2.9: 95%CI 1.1–7.7), exhaustion of drugs before the next clinic appointment (OR 5.9: 95%CI 2.8–12.5), buying drugs in private pharmacies and open market (OR 1.9: 95%CI 1.03–3.3) and total time spent counselling of less than five minutes (OR 1.8: 95%CI 1.02–3.2). Conclusion: The level of non-adherence in this study was found to be high. Creating special support groups for Junior Civil Servants, ensuring patients come back to the hospital to refill their drugs, improving counselling techniques and making prescribed antihypertensive drugs constantly available in the hospital, could improve the level of non-adherence to antihypertensive drugs among patients attending Federal Staff Hospitals and Clinics.}, URL ={https://www.ssajm.org/article.asp?issn=2384-5147;year=2017;volume=4;issue=1;spage=20;epage=25;aulast=Kazaure;t=6}, eprint ={https://www.ssajm.org/article.asp?issn=2384-5147;year=2017;volume=4;issue=1;spage=20;epage=25;aulast=Kazaure;t=6} }