Abstract

TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN ASTHMATIC PATIENTS ATTENDING TERTIARY HEALTHCARE CENTER: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY

Awijit Khadka, Govinda Sah*, Durga Bista, Rajani Shakya, Bhawana Khanal and Bishmita Basnet

ABSTRACT

Background: Asthma is a chronic obstructive inflammatory disease of airways. Inadequate medication can lead to worsening of symptoms, increased healthcare utilization costs, and a decline in overall health of the asthmatic patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 both outpatient and inpatient asthmatic patients at Dhulikhel Hospital. The duration of study was for 6 months from July 2024 to December 2024 .Data were collected using the Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire (AAMQ-13) and demographic questionnaire. Statistical analyses, including descriptive analysis, normality testing, and ANOVA test were performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: The overall treatment adherence score was high (59.36 ± 4.18). Significant associations were found between treatment adherence and gender (p=0.01) with females showing higher adherence, and occupation (p=0.039) with employees showing the highest adherence rates. The most commonly prescribed medications were combinations of Formoterol and Budesonide (17.33%), followed by Salbutamol (15.33%). Conclusion: The study revealed high medication adherence among asthmatic patients, with gender and occupation significantly influencing adherence patterns. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions considering these demographic factors to maintain and improve medication adherence.

Keywords: Asthma, Medication adherence, Compliance, Antibiotics, Glucocorticosteroids.