Sociodemographic and Clinical Predictors of Tuberculosis and Unsuccessful Treatment Outcomes in Davao City, Philippines: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge in Davao City, Philippines, with persistent issues in both disease burden and treatment outcomes. Understanding the risk factors for TB and its unsuccessful treatment is essential for guiding effective interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the association of sociodemographic and clinical factors with TB occurrence and to identify predictors of unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes among patients in Davao City.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from 521 patients diagnosed with drug-susceptible TB at Davao Chest Center between January 2021 and May 2024. The sociodemographic and clinical profiles of the patients were described using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to assess the associations between sociodemographic and clinical variables with TB risk and treatment outcomes.

RESULTS: The patient cohort was predominantly aged 31-50 years (n = 201, 38.58%), male (n = 284, 54.51%), and married (n = 285, 54.70%), with most residing in Districts I and II (n = 98, 38% each), and had no previous TB treatment (n = 344, 66.03%). Among the 456 patients assessed for comorbidities, 56.14% (n = 256) had at least one comorbidity. Evaluation of the risk factors for TB occurrence among the study population revealed that comorbidity status was not significantly associated with an increased risk of TB diagnosis (= 0.682). However, among patients diagnosed with TB, the presence of comorbidities was significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes (= 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS: Although sociodemographic factors did not significantly influence TB risk or treatment outcomes, the presence of comorbidities was a significant predictor of unsuccessful TB treatment. These findings highlight the importance of integrating comorbidity management with TB care to improve treatment success in high-burden urban settings.