Association between knowledge level, motivation, and family support and medication adherence among patients with diabetes mellitus at Hamparan Perak Community Health Center

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder requiring consistent medication adherence to prevent severe complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputation. Adherence is influenced by multiple factors, including patient knowledge, internal motivation, and family support. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between these three factors and medication adherence among diabetes mellitus patients at the Hamparan Perak Primary Health Center.

Method: A descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design was conducted. The population comprised 256 diabetes mellitus patients registered at the health center, from which 156 participants were selected using purposive sampling based on predefined inclusion criteria. Data were collected using validated structured questionnaires assessing knowledge, motivation, family support, and medication adherence. Data analysis included univariate analysis for frequency distributions and bivariate analysis using the chi-square test (α=0.05).

Results: The results showed that most respondents demonstrated good medication adherence (35.9%), good knowledge (42.3%), high motivation (34.6%), and high family support (48.7%). Bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between medication adherence and knowledge (p<0.001), motivation (p<0.001), and family support (p<0.001).

Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between knowledge, motivation, and family support with medication adherence among diabetes mellitus patients. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational programs, motivational counseling, and family-inclusive interventions at primary health care facilities to enhance therapeutic compliance and improve clinical outcomes.