Determinants of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients for treatment adherence: a cross sectional study in Bangladesh

The aim of this study is<strong> </strong>to assess the determinants of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients (MDR TB) for treatment adherence. A cross sectional study was carried out for one year in National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Dhaka. One hundred and twenty MDR TB patients were selected for this study. Data were collected by treatment record review and face to face interview by using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Data revealed that<strong> </strong>the disease was most prevalent (42.5%) among age group from 21 - 30 years (mean age 30.61 years). Among enrolled patients 90.8% had medication adherence according to treatment regimen. Only 9.2% respondents had interruption of their medication due to side effect of the drugs and delivery disruption. 81.7% had received regular follow up visit. Among patients 87.5% had regular follow up sputum test done according to guideline. Most of the respondents were informed about MDR TB from doctors. It was observed that mass media had no active role in MDR TB. However, the treatment adherence rate of the MDR TB patients was moderately satisfactory. Treatment supporters, oral medication use, previous pulmonary TB disease were identified as determinants of MDR TB treatment adherence. To improve MDR TB treatment adherence, a patient -centered approach should be considered at the programmatic level.