Abstract: Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the influencing factors associated with medication adherence related to immunosuppressive treatment in patients who underwent kidney transplant in China, therefore to provide evidence for clinical interventions to improve adherence. Methods: Following a multi-center cross-sectional approach, a self-designed demographic information questionnaire and the Basel Assessment of Adherence with Immunosuppressive Medication Scale were used to collect information from the recipients who underwent kidney transplant for more than 3 months. Results: A convenient sample of 819 patients with kidney transplant were included in the study, of which 359 were classified as non-adherent (43.8%). Among them, the most frequently reported event related to non-adherent was not taking medication on time, followed by missed medication taking. The independent influencing factors of medication adherence to immunosuppressive treatment were the length of time after kidney transplant, donor type, complications after kidney transplant, and the duration of dialysis. Conclusion: The medication adherence to immunosuppressive treatment among patients with kidney transplant is relatively low. Patients with a longer post-transplant years, living donor, having complications and with shorter duration of dialysis should receive more attention in adherence screening, therefore to assist them with medication management in the follow up period.

Key words: kidney transplant; recipients; medication adherence