Multicomponent Nudging Strategy to Improve Medication Adherence in Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension remains a major global non-communicable disease, with medication non-adherence representing a significant barrier to effective blood pressure control. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent nudging strategy consisting of health education, medication reminder systems, and family support in improving medication adherence among hypertensive patients at a primary healthcare facility. A quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group design was conducted involving 60 respondents, equally divided into intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. Medication adherence was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests. Before the intervention, 58.3% of respondents in both groups demonstrated low adherence. Following the intervention, the proportion of participants with high adherence in the intervention group increased from 10.0% to 46.7%, while the mean MMAS-8 score improved significantly from 5.2 ± 1.3 to 7.1 ± 1.1 (p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed only a modest increase from 5.3 ± 1.2 to 5.8 ± 1.3 (p = 0.043). The change in adherence scores was significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group (Δ = 1.9 vs. 0.5; p < 0.001). These findings indicate that multicomponent nudging strategies effectively enhance medication adherence among hypertensive patients and may support improved hypertension management in primary healthcare settings.