Non-adherence to anti-tuberculosis treatment among internal migrants with pulmonary tuberculosis in Shenzhen, China: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND:Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment threatens the success of treatment, increases the risk of TB spread, and leads to the development of drug resistance. The present study assessed non-adherence to anti-TB treatment among internal migrants with pulmonary TB living in Shenzhen, China, and examined risk factors for non-adherence in order to identify targets for intervention. METHODS:A total of 794 internal migrants with TB treated at Bao'an Hospital for Chronic Disease Prevention and Cure, Shenzhen, were recruited. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on these patients' history and experiences with TB treatment. Ordinal logistic regression model were used to identify risk factors for non-adherence. RESULTS:The proportion of patients who had missed one dose of medication within two weeks was 93/794 (11.71%), and those who missed at least two doses of medication within two weeks was 167/794 (21.03%), with a total of 33.74% of patients not adhering to TB treatment. Lack of knowledge about TB treatment and longer travel time to the nearest community health centers are significant predictors for non-adherence. CONCLUSIONS:The present study shows that non-adherence is common among internal migrants with TB. Patients who lack knowledge about TB treatment or have to travel far to get treated are prone to miss one or more doses of medication. Interventions to improve health education and healthcare access are essential to reduce non-adherence to TB treatment among internal migrants.

journal_name

BMC Public Health

journal_title

BMC public health

authors

Tang Y,Zhao M,Wang Y,Gong Y,Yin X,Zhao A,Zheng J,Liu Z,Jian X,Wang W,Wu C,Lu Z

doi

10.1186/s12889-015-1789-z

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2015-05-08 00:00:00

pages

474

issn

1471-2458

pii

10.1186/s12889-015-1789-z

journal_volume

15

pub_type

杂志文章