Determinants of non-adherence among tuberculosis patients on treatment at Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of mortality globally. Non-adherence leads
to development of drug resistance, treatment failure and relapse, increased
transmission of the bacilli and prolonged morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional
study with a sample of 138 participants, selected by simple random sampling,
interviewed using a structured questionnaire was implemented. Telephone
interviews on patients who were identified as lost to follow up was conducted. Data
was populated in an Excel sheet and analyzed descriptively and inferentially via
logistic regression using Stata version 13 software. A total of 137 tuberculosis
patients was enrolled, two thirds of whom were males, with a median age of 32 (IQR
25,42). The prevalence of non-adherence was 7.30% (n=10). Medication complexity
(aOR 14.67, 95% CI 2.44-88.07, p =0.003) and forgetting to take medications (aOR
9.11, 95% CI 1.16-71.54, p =0.036) were the main determinants associated with nonadherence.
Attention should be devoted to these factors by finding means to help
patients remember to take their medications and adopting fixed dose combinations
and pill organizers to reduce medication complexity.