Non-adherence to anti-tuberculosis treatment, reasons and associated factors among TB patients attending at Gondar town health centers, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of non-adherence to anti-tuberculosis treatment, reasons and associated factors among TB patients attending at Gondar town health centers.

Result: A total of 314 participants were included with the response rate of 97.5%. The mean age of participants was 35.94 (SD ± 13.83) years. The overall rate of non-adherence to anti-TB treatment was 21.2% (95% CI 17.2, 26.1). Continuation phase of treatment (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI (1.54, 5.94)), presence of more than one co-morbidity (AOR = 6.22; 95% CI (2.21, 17.48)), poor knowledge about TB and anti-TB therapy (AOR = 4.11; 95% CI 1.57, 10.75), poor patient-provider relationship (AOR = 4.60, 95% CI 1.63, 12.97), and alcohol intake (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI 1.54, 16.40) were significantly associated with non-adherence. Forgetting 40 (23.1%), Being busy with other work 35 (20.2%), and being out of home/town 24 (13.9%) were the major reasons of participants for interruption of taking anti-TB medications.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Non-adherence; Prevalence; Reasons; Tuberculosis treatment.

Fig. 1

Reasons for interruption of taking anti-TB medications of participants attending TB clinic in health centers at Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2017 (n = 173)