Relationship between persistence with topical antiglaucomatous prescription and patient socioeconomic status at a tertiary university hospital in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain).

Introduction: To study the relationship between socioeconomic status and persistence with topical antiglaucomatous medication.

Methods: A retrospective epidemiological observational cohort study was conducted with a sample of 1563 patients. The main dependent variable was persistence (medication possession ratio), the independent variable was socioeconomic status (deprivation index). Additional independent variables were used for multivariate analysis: individual health card index, sex, age, pharmacological group, number of eye drops, preservatives, diagnosis and concurrent medications. Bivariate statistical analysis was obtained using non-parametric tests. Logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: We obtained data showing greater persistence in the groups with a higher socioeconomic level (deprivation index 1 and 2), with medication possession ratio values of 79.97 and 75.30, respectively) as opposed to the groups at lower socioeconomic levels (deprivation index 4 and 5, with medication possession ratio values of 73.75 and 69.85, respectively. Logistic regression corroborated this difference, reaching a significant value (no persistence in deprivation index group 5 versus 1) with OR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.13-2.31. Additionally, lower persistence was detected in males, under 60 years of age, undergoing treatment with alpha-agonists, and in patients with ocular hypertension.

Discussion: Low socioeconomic status of the patient was significantly associated with decreased persistence with topical antiglaucomatous therapy.