Relationship between knowledge and adherence to hypertension treatment.

Background: Hypertension is a continuous increase in arterial blood pressure. About 50-70% of patients do not comply with hypertension treatment. Adherence is a health behavior that can be influenced by several factors, including knowledge. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between patients' knowledge and adherence to hypertension medication at the Tanggulangin Primary Healthcare Center, Sidoarjo City. Methods: The research method was analytic-observational with a cross-sectional design. Sixty-five sampled patients participated in this study after meeting inclusion criteria: at the age of over 18 years, having the ability to read and write, and signing the consent forms. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed descriptively with the Spearman Rho test to identify a correlation between knowledge and adherence to medication. Results: Patients' knowledge was mostly categorized as good (60%), followed by moderate category (40%). In addition, adherence to medication was all in the moderate category (100%). The correlation test results show a weak relationship between knowledge and adherence to medication (P=0.007; R=-0,331). Conclusion: Patients' knowledge is related to adherence to hypertension treatment.

The sodium does not affect joint pain and functional activity of knee osteoarthritis patients.

Background: The sodium may aggravate synovial inflammation and cartilage thinning. This incidence can cause joint pain and reduce functional activity. Not many people know the effect of sodium on the incidence of osteoarthritis. Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between sodium in the body and knee joint pain which results in functional activity. Methods: The quantitative descriptive study used accidental sampling. The study was conducted at three outpatient polyclinic orthopedics of hospitals and was approved by the Health Ethics Committee. All data were collected during the interview. The Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Nutrisurvey Indonesia 2007 application were used as a tool to collect daily sodium intake (mg). Knee joint pain score was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), while functional body activity was measured using the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). The Pearson and Spearman test (P<0.05) were used as a correlation test. Results: 80 subjects were recruited according to the inclusion criteria. Characteristics of the subjects were pre-elderly (32, 40%), women (74, 92.5%), body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 (54, 67.5%) and occupation (43, 53.75%). Average sodium intake = 2090.78±1084.33 mg, VAS score = 6.28±1.95 and WOMAC score = 32.65±14.88. The correlation sodium, VAS, and WOMAC were not significant (P=0.196, P=0.372). Conclusions: Increased sodium intake is not associated with knee joint pain and functional body activity.

Knowledge and attitude: two fundamental factors that determine patient compliance in antibiotic therapy.

Background With the development of infectious diseases, the use of antibiotics is increasing. Amoxicillin is a penicillin class of antibiotics that are widely used today. Compliance with amoxicillin can reduce the risk of microbial resistance. Two fundamental factors that determine patient compliance in antibiotic therapy are the patient's knowledge and attitude towards the antibiotic. In this study, we want to know the effect of knowledge and attitudes of patients on their compliance in using amoxicillin antibiotics. Methods This study was an observational study with a cross section approach, a purposive sampling method by giving questionnaires to 100 respondents who received amoxicillin in Arjuno Primary Health Care, Klojen District in April 2019. Research variables include knowledge, attitudes, and patient compliance in using amoxicillin antibiotics. Data analysis was performed to determine the effect of knowledge and attitudes of patients on compliance with amoxicillin antibiotic therapy. Results The results showed that knowledge significantly influences the complience (sig = 0.00), while attitude does not significantly influence compliance in using amoxicillin antibiotics(sig = 0,136). Knowledge and attitude were known to have a significant effect on compliance with amoxicillin antibiotic therapy (sig = 0.00), the magnitude of the influence of the two variables (R2 = 16.7%). Conclusions It can be concluded that the patient's knowledge and attitude influences his compliance to antibiotic therapy.

Patients' characteristics and their adherence to insulin therapy.

Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMT2) in Indonesia increased significantly from 6.9% (2013) to 8.5% (2018), putting Indonesia in top six countries in the world with maximum DMT2 patients. Patients with uncontrolled DMT2 are at risk for complications. As such, insulin is often administered to keep the levels under control. Unfortunately, poor adherence to insulin therapy is common, reflecting some factors that may affect the therapy. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the characteristics of patients contributing to adherence to insulin therapy among DMT2 outpatients using the Health Belief Model (HBM) approach. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 84 DMT2 outpatients in a private hospital in Surabaya between April and May 2019. Respondents were selected using the accidental sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and chi-square. Results The level of respondents' adherence was high (73.8%). There was no significant relationship between sex, age, level of education, occupation, and duration of use and patient adherence. Using the HBM approach, this study showed a significant relationship between the five components of HBM (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barrier and perceived self-efficacy) and patient adherence. Conclusions Patient adherence was influenced primarily by patient belief to the therapy of insulin. The characteristics of patients had no effect on adherence, yet further research is recommended to examine such adherence to a different population.

Pharmacist contributions in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Southeast Asia: a narrative review.

Background The growing burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Southeast Asia puts pharmacists in the ideal position to provide management of DM. This narrative review aims to describe the evidence of pharmacist contribution in improving DM in Southeast Asia. Content A literature search was conducted to identify relevant research articles published from 2010 to 2018 in four databases (Scopus, Pubmed, MEDLINE, and Springerlink) describing pharmacist roles and activities intended to improve management of DM in Southeast Asian countries. Results were synthesized narratively and divided into three main sections: (1) the role of pharmacist in DM management, (2) the impact of pharmacist role, and (3) the barriers to the implementation of services in DM management. A total of 16 studies were identified, of which ten studies mentioned services that were conducted exclusively by a pharmacist and the remaining collaborated with other health professionals. A number of pharmacist services were reported including prevention, dispensing, medication review, drug information services, patient counselling and education, monitoring, follow-up, and referral. Barriers related to individual, organizational, and public recognition were described. Summary and outlook The Pharmacist can contribute to improve DM management in a variety of settings. Action research on pharmacist intervention in DM is recommended.