Year: 2026 | Month: July | Volume: 13 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 616-627
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260764
Association Between Residential Distance to Community Health Centers and Medication Adherence Among Patients with Hypertension in the Coastal Area of Wakatobi Regency
La Ode Alifariki
Department of Nursing, Medical Faculty, Halu Oleo University, Kendari, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: La Ode Alifariki
ABSTRACT
Background: Medication adherence is an essential component of hypertension management because consistent use of antihypertensive medication reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications and improves long-term blood pressure control. Geographical accessibility, particularly the distance from patients' residences to primary healthcare facilities, has been suggested as one of the factors influencing medication adherence. However, evidence from coastal and archipelagic communities remains limited.
Objective: To determine the association between the distance from patients' residences to Community Health Centers and medication adherence among patients with hypertension in the coastal area of Wakatobi Regency.
Methods: An analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 100 patients with hypertension selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. Distance from residence to the nearest Community Health Center was categorized as near (<3 km), moderate (3–5 km), and far (>5 km). Medication adherence was assessed using the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test with a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: Of the 100 respondents, 39.0% lived 3–5 km from the nearest Community Health Center, 34.0% lived within 3 km, and 27.0% lived more than 5 km away. Regarding medication adherence, 29.0% of respondents had low adherence, 45.0% had moderate adherence, and 26.0% had high adherence. Chi-square analysis demonstrated no statistically significant association between residential distance and medication adherence (χ² = 2.34; df = 4; p = 0.673). Respondents living near the Community Health Center showed low, moderate, and high adherence rates of 26.5%, 47.1%, and 26.4%, respectively, while those living farther away demonstrated comparable adherence patterns.
Conclusion: The distance from patients' residences to the Community Health Center was not significantly associated with medication adherence among patients with hypertension living in the coastal area of Wakatobi Regency. These findings suggest that medication adherence is more likely to be influenced by behavioral, educational, family, and healthcare service factors than by geographical distance alone.
Keywords: coastal community; Community Health Center; hypertension; medication adherence; residential distance; Wakatobi
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