Medication and Dietary Adherence and their Association with Quality of Life among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes has no cure but strategies such as reducing weight, practicing healthy lifestyle, being physically active, complying with medical appointments, and proper management of diabetes may help in reducing the negative health complications of diabetes. Aim of this study was to determine the association between medication adherence, dietary adherence, and quality of life among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM). A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling method was conducted among 112 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients aged 18 years and above. The Malaysia Medical Adherence Assessment Tool (MyMAAT) was employed to assess the medication adherence of participants, while the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaire evaluated their dietary adherence. The Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life 19 (ADDQoL19) questionnaire was used to measure the participants' quality of life. Socio-demographic parameters and clinical characteristics were also evaluated. The association between medication and dietary adherence was assessed using Chi-Square test, while the median differences in quality of life according to levels of dietary and medication adherence were evaluated using Mann-Whitney test. A total of 19.64% and 60.71% of the subjects had poor medication and dietary adherence respectively. The overall mean score of quality of life is -1.22(0.57) which indicated moderate poor quality of life. The quality of life domain that reported the worst score is the work domain (-3.22(2.24)). Women (49.18%) reported to have better dietary adherence as compared to men (27.45%). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between medication adherence and dietary adherence with quality of life among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In conclusion, a considerable proportion of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients demonstrated poor medication and particularly dietary adherence, alongside a moderately impaired quality of life. Although no significant associations were observed between adherence (medication and dietary) and quality of life, the findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve self-care practices, especially dietary adherence. Future studies should explore potential confounding factors and longitudinal relationships to better understand the complex interplay between adherence behaviours and quality of life in this population.