Association of Perceived Stress and Discrimination on Medication Adherence among Diverse Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascu­lar morbidity and mortality. In the United States, many patients remain uncontrolled, in part, due to poor medication adherence. Efforts to improve hypertension control include not only attending to medical management of the disease but also the social determinants of health, which impact medication adherence, and ultimately blood pressure control.Purpose: To determine which social deter­minants – health care access or community and social stressors - explain medication adherence.Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, we used baseline data (N=1820, col­lected August 2017 to October 2019) from a pragmatic trial, which compares the effectiveness of a multi-level intervention including collaborative care and a stepped approach with enhanced standard of care for improving blood pressure. We used logistic regression analyses to examine the association between patient experiences of care and community and social stressors with medication adherence.Results: The participants represented a diverse sample: mean age of 60 years; 59% female; 57.3% Black, 9.6% Hispanic, and 33.2% White. All participants had a blood pressure reading ≥140/90 mm Hg (mean blood pressure – 152/85 mm Hg). Half of the participants reported some level of non-adherence to medication. Regression analy­sis showed that, compared with Whites, Blacks (AOR .47; 95% CIs: .37-.60, P<.001) and Hispanics (AOR .48; 95% CIs: .32- .73, P<.001) were less likely to report medica­tion adherence. Also part-time workers (AOR .57; 95% CIs: .38-.86, P<.05), and those who reported greater perceived stress (AOR .94; 95% CIs: .91 – .98, P<.001) and everyday discrimination (AOR .73; 95% CIs: .59 – .89; P<.001) had lower odds of medication adherence. Among Blacks, greater perceived stress (AOR .93; 95% CIs: .88-.98, P<.001) and everyday discrimina­tion (AOR .63; 95% CIs: .49 - .82, P<.005) were negatively associated with medication adherence. Among Hispanics, greater report of everyday discrimination (AOR .36; 95% CIs: .14 – .89, P<.005) was associated with lower odds of medication adherence. Among Whites, the negative effect of per­ceived stress on medication adherence was attenuated by emotional support.Conclusions: Using the social determinants of health framework, we identified associa­tions between stress, everyday discrimina­tion and medication adherence among non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics that were independent of health status and other social determinants. Programs to enhance self-management for African American and Hispanic patients with uncontrolled blood pressure should include a specific focus on addressing social stressors.Ethn Dis. 2021;31(1):97-108; doi:10.18865/ ed.31.1.97