Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2025; 122(2): e20240558
Spirituality/Religiosity and Adherence to Treatment in Hypertensive Individuals
Yanne da Silva Camargo
, Aliny Serafim Borges Ferreira
, Luana Araújo Macedo Scalia
, Patrícia Magnabosco
, Aline Guarato da Cunha Bragato
, Maria Beatriz Guimarães Raponi
, Nelson Dinamarco
, Valéria Nasser Figueiredo
This Original Article is referred by the Short Editorial "Spirituality and Cardiovascular Disease: Valuing Cultural Sensitivity in Cardiology".
Abstract
Background
Adherence to drug and non-drug treatment for hypertension has a major socioeconomic impact, in addition to reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and morbidity and mortality. It is known that spirituality and religiosity can be incorporated into coping and managing hypertension.
Objective
To analyze possible factors associated with adherence to treatment in hypertensive patients and the role of spirituality/religiosity in this context.
Methods
Observational, cross-sectional, quantitative study, carried out with 237 hypertensive individuals monitored in a large Brazilian teaching hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle data were collected, in addition to measuring anthropometric data and performing a physical examination. To determine adherence to drug and non-drug treatment for hypertension, the QATSAH instrument was used and, to assess the level of spirituality/religiosity, the Duke Religion Index and the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality were applied.
Results
Higher levels of adherence to treatment were observed when aged ≥65 years, physically active, and who did not consume alcohol (p<0.05). Regarding religiosity and spirituality, intrinsic religiosity (β = 0.24, 95%CI [0.22, 1.13], p = 0.004), values and beliefs (β = -0.18, 95%CI [-1.58, -0.20], p = 0.012), and forgiveness (β = 0.16, 95%CI [0.13, 1.19], p = 0.015) were statistically significant predictors of treatment adherence. Organizational religiosity, non-organizational religiosity, and daily spiritual experiences were not significant.
Conclusion
Greater intrinsic religiosity, lower scores in Values and Beliefs and higher scores in Forgiveness increase the level of medication and non-medication adherence in hypertensive individuals.
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