Demographic characteristics of the study population
| Total | Adherent (MARS-5 score of 25) | Low medication adherence (MARS-5 score of <25) | p Value | |
| Total | 382 (100.0) | 164 (42.9) | 218 (57.1) | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 62 (10.4) | 63.6 (10.1) | 60.4 (10.3) | <0.01 |
| Gender | 0.17 | |||
| Female | 204 (53.4) | 81 (39.7) | 123 (60.3) | |
| Male | 178 (46.6) | 83 (46.6) | 95 (53.4) | |
| Ethnicity | 0.02 | |||
| Chinese | 282 (73.8) | 108 (38.3) | 174 (61.7) | |
| Malay | 36 (9.4) | 19 (52.8) | 17 (47.2) | |
| Indian | 59 (15.4) | 34 (57.6) | 25 (42.4) | |
| Others | 5 (1.3) | 3 (60) | 2 (40) | |
| Marital status | 0.02 | |||
| Single | 36 (9.4) | 13 (36.1) | 23 (63.9) | |
| Married | 296 (77.5) | 127 (42.9) | 169 (57.1) | |
| Divorced/separated | 16 (4.2) | 3 (18.8) | 13 (81.3) | |
| Widowed | 34 (8.9) | 21 (61.8) | 13 (38.2) | |
| Highest education | 0.38 | |||
| Up to primary level | 151 (39.5) | 69 (45.7) | 82 (54.3) | |
| Secondary and above | 231 (60.5) | 95 (41.1) | 136 (58.9) | |
| Type of housing | 0.99 | |||
| Public housing | 354 (92.7) | 152 (42.9) | 202 (57.1) | |
| Condo or private apartment/landed property | 28 (7.3) | 12 (42.9) | 16 (57.1) | |
| Mode of administration of medication | 0.04 | |||
| Self-medication | 360 (94.2) | 150 (41.7) | 210 (58.3) | |
| Assisted by family member or domestic helper | 22 (5.8) | 14 (63.6) | 8 (36.4) | |
| Number of diabetic medicines, median (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 0.08 |
| Number of regular daily medications | 0.04 | |||
| Five or more | 243 (63.6) | 114 (46.9) | 129 (53.1) | |
| Up to four | 139 (36.4) | 50 (36) | 89 (64) | |
| Number of other chronic diseases** | 0.19 | |||
| Three or more | 128 (33.5) | 61 (47.7) | 67 (52.3) | |
| One or two | 254 (66.5) | 103 (40.6) | 151 (59.4) | |
| Any diabetic complications* | 0.25 | |||
| Yes | 171 (44.8) | 79 (46.2) | 92 (53.8) | |
| No | 211 (55.2) | 85 (40.3) | 126 (59.7) | |
| HbA1c, median (IQR) | 7.2 (6.6–7.9) | 7 (6.5–7.7) | 7.3 (6.7–8.2) | 0.01 |
*Diabetic complications include nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy.
**Chronic diseases include hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic renal failure, obesity, depression, gout, anaemia, asthma and hypothyroidism.