TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of Gender in Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence Among Patients with Diabetes JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 743 LP - 751 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2018.05.180039 VL - 31 IS - 5 AU - Soumitra S. Bhuyan AU - Olayinka Shiyanbola AU - Pallav Deka AU - Oluwaseyi O. Isehunwa AU - Aastha Chandak AU - Sean Huang AU - Yang Wang AU - Jay Bhatt AU - Lu Ning AU - Wang Jun Lin AU - David Wyant AU - Satish Kedia AU - Cyril F. Chang Y1 - 2018/09/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/31/5/743.abstract N2 - Objective: Under 50% of type 2 diabetic patients achieve the recommended glycemic control. One barrier to glycemic control is patients' cost-related nonadherence to medications. We hypothesize gender differences in medication nonadherence due to costs among diabetic patients.Methods: US National Health Interview Survey (2011 to 2014) data yielded 5260 males and 6188 females with diabetes for over a year. We applied 2 analytic methods (A and B below) across multiple outcome measures (1 to 4) of medication nonadherence due to cost. The key independent variable was participant's gender.Results: Across methods and measure, females consistently report significantly higher rates of medication nonadherence due to costs. Pearson's χ2 showed that female patients were more likely to (1) skip medication (13.5%–10.2%; P < .001), take less than prescribed medication (13.9%–10.5%; P < .001), delay filling prescriptions (16.8%–12.5%; P < .001), and ask doctors to prescribe lower-cost alternative medications (31.8%–28.0%; P < .001). Controlling for covariates, logistic regression models found females more likely to skip medication (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09–1.55), take less than prescribed medication (OR, 1.26; 95%, CI, 1.06–1.50), delay filling prescriptions, (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.11–1.50), and request lower-cost medication (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04–1.32). Our results report other factors that influence medication adherence, including socioeconomic and health status variables.Conclusions: A significant gender-based disparity exists on cost-related nonadherence of medication among diabetic patients. Health care providers and policy-makers should pay close attention to find ways to address cost-related nonadherence of medication among patients with chronic illness, especially among female patients. ER -