Appointment-keeping behavior is not related to medication adherence in hypertensive African Americans.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between appointment-keeping behavior, medication adherence (ADH), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) was assessed in 153 hypertensive African Americans followed in a community-based practice.


METHODS
ADH was assessed with a self-report questionnaire. BP was obtained from electronic medical records and appointment attendance was determined from the log of all appointments made during the 12-month study period. Nonadherence rates were compared across appointment attendance categories with chi-square. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between ADH and appointment attendance, whereas multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to examine the relationship between appointment attendance and BP.


RESULTS
Twenty-five percent of patients (87% women, mean age 52 years) did not miss any appointments, 44% missed 1-30%, and 31% missed greater than 30%. Adjusted nonadherence rates were similar for all 3 categories (70%, 66%, and 65%, respectively, p = 0.88) as were adjusted mean SBP and DBP in the MANCOVA model, [F (4, 218) = 1.13, p = .34]. Logistic regression analysis did not indicate a significant relationship between appointment attendance and ADH.


CONCLUSIONS
Appointment-keeping behavior was not related to ADH or BP among hypertensive African Americans. It should not be used as a proxy for ADH in this patient population.
Ogedegbe
Gbenga
G
Behavioral Cardiovascular Health & Hypertension Program, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. goo1@columbia.edu
Schoenthaler
Antoinette
A
Fernandez
Senaida
S
D001741:Black or African American; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents