PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AS CORRELATES OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH MEDICATION AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

The study investigated psychosocial factors influencing noncompliance with hypertensive medication use. Hypertension is one of the gravest cardiovascular risk factors but its control is still a challenge around the world. Control of blood pressure can reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, so compliance to antihypertensive drugs and life style modification plays an important role in the control of hypertension. Hypertension is defined as an average systolic blood pressure 140mm Hg or greater and diastolic blood pressure 90mm Hg or greater. The study adopted a descriptive research design. One hundred and fifty (150) respondents were sampledfor the study. Responses were gathered using questionnaire tagged (PFINCM) with a reliability coefficient ofr= 86. Frequency count and percentages were used to analyze the demographic characteristics while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to analyze the three hypotheses generated for the study at 0.05 level of significance. The result •showed that there is a significant relationship between psychological factors and noncompliance with hypertensive drug (r =.550, N =150, P<.OI); there is a positive significant relationship between social factors and noncompliance with hypertensive drug (r =.497, N =150, P<.OI); there is a positive significant relationship between health well-being and noncompliance with hypertensive drug (r =.295, N=150, P<.OI). The study established joint effect of the independent variables on non-compliance with hypertensive drugs. It was concluded that psychosocial factors greatly influence non-compliance witli hypertensive drugs among patient generally. Based on this, it was recommended that social workers and other stake holders in health care practice should encourage their clients to adhere strictly to prescribed drugs.