Variables associated with adherence to the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus among elderly people.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence and variables associated with the adherence to medical treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in elderly people attending the family healthcare units in Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: This is a population-based household survey with a random conglomerate sample of 338 elderly people. Treatment adherence was measured with the Brief Medication Questionnaire. Poisson regression model was used for gross and adjusted analyses at 95% confidence intervals and value.

Results: Adherence to treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus among elderly people was found to be 52.4% (95%CI 47.9-57.7). There was evidence of positive associations between treatment adherence and age older than 80 years, one to four years of schooling, non-abusive alcoholic use, self-efficacy, clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus only, non-obesity, use of oral anti-diabetic drugs, non-occurrence of side effects, no daily use of multiple-dose medication, no delay in medication delivery and treatment at family healthcare units ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: Low treatment adherence was found to be important and it was also possible to know the variables influencing this process. Strategies aimed at improving adherence to medical treatment should be a priority in the family healthcare units for the control of diabetes.