Medication beliefs predict medication adherence in ambulatory patients with decompensated cirrhosis

Table 1 Demographic and clinical factors in patients with high, medium and low medication adherence n (%)

Demographic and clinical variables		All patients	Medication adherence ranking			P value
			High	Medium	Low
			(n = 42)	(n = 37)	(n = 21)
Age		58.4 ± 10.2	57.9 ± 10.9	58.2 ± 9.0	57.8 ± 10.8	0.787
Male gender		65 (65.0)	21 (50.0)	30 (81.1)	14 (66.7)	0.015
Primary aetiology	ALD	49 (48.0)	19 (45.2)	19 (51.4)	11 (52.4)	0.842
	HCV	35 (33.0)	14 (33.3)	13 (35.1)	8 (38.1)	0.963
	Other	16 (16.0)	9 (21.5)	5 (13.5)	2 (9.5)	0.383
1Child-Turcotte Pugh class	A	24 (24.0)	6 (14.3)	12 (32.4)	6 (28.6)	0.684
	B	59 (59.0)	29 (69.0)	21 (56.8)	9 (42.8)
	C	17 (17.0)	7 (16.7)	4 (10.8)	6 (28.6)
MELD score		14.4 ± 5.2	14.6 ± 4.6	14.2 ± 5.1	14.2 ± 6.7	0.936
Ascites at review (incl. suppressed by medication)		80 (80.0)	37 (88.1)	28 (75.7)	15 (71.4)	0.187
Encephalopathy at review (incl. suppressed by medication)		36 (36.0)	12 (28.6)	13 (35.1)	11 (52.4)	0.184
Hepatocellular carcinoma		8 (8.0)	3 (7.1)	3 (8.1)	2 (9.5)	1.00
Number of self-reported medicines		7.1 ± 3.5	7.2 ± 3.7	7.1 ± 3.6	6.9 ± 3.1	0.923
Number of comorbidities		5.5 ± 2.8	5.4 ± 2.8	5.8 ± 3.0	5.2 ± 2.5	0.703
2Unable to afford medicines		19 (20.2)	1 (2.5)	12 (36.4)	6 (28.6)	< 0.001
3Education	Nil, Primary, Middle school	39 (42.4)	14 (34.1)	13 (43.3)	12 (57.1)	0.215
	High school, Trade, University	53 (57.6)	27 (65.9)	17 (56.7)	9 (42.9)
4Employment status	Employed	18 (19.1)	9 (22.0)	6 (18.2)	3 (14.3)	0.842
	Government welfare	72 (76.6)	30 (73.2)	25 (75.8)	18 (85.7)	0.602
ARIA	Highly accessible	89 (89.0)	36 (85.7)	34 (91.9)	19 (90.5)	0.713
	Accessible–remote	11 (11.0)	6 (14.3)	3 (8.1)	2 (9.5)
IRSD	Most disadvantaged	32 (32.0)	16 (38.1)	7 (18.9)	9 (42.9)	0.093
	Low–moderate disadvantage	68 (68.0)	26 (68.9)	30 (81.1)	12 (57.1)

Normally distributed data presented as mean ± SD and analysed using one-way ANOVA. Categorical data presented as proportional percent (%) of column (adherence ranking) and analysed using Pearson’s χ² or Fisher’s Exact test unless otherwise noted.

¹Analysed using the Linear-by-Linear Exact Association test for trend;

²Excluding 6 patients for whom data was not available (n = 40 High adherers, n = 33 Medium adherers and n = 21 Low adherers);

³Excluding 8 patients for whom data was not available (n = 41 High adherers, n = 30 Medium adherers and n = 21 Low adherers);

⁴Excluding 5 patients for whom data was not available (n = 41 High adherers, n = 33 Medium adherers and n = 21 Low adherers). P-values represent “Employed” vs “Unemployed” (data not shown), and “Government Welfare” vs “Not receiving Government Welfare” (data not shown) respectively. Two patients reported concurrent part-time employment and Government Welfare support and are represented twice. “Employed” includes full-time, part-time, casual and self-employment. “Government Welfare” includes disability support, aged pension, carer’s pension, total permanent disability, Newstart allowance. Six patients reported no active income (living off savings or financially supported by family). ALD: Alcoholic liver disease; HCV: Hepatitis C virus ARIA: Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia; IRSD: Index for relative socioeconomic disadvantage.