Prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis treatment outcome among hazardous or harmful alcohol users in public primary health care in South Africa

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a chronic infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of tuberculosis treatment failure, death and default among hazardous or harmful alcohol users.
Method: We conducted a prospective study with TB patients in 40 public health clinics in three districts in South Africa. All consecutively new tuberculosis and retreatment patients presenting at the 40 primary health care facilities with hazardous or harmful alcohol use were included in this study. Logistic regression was used to assess determinants of TB treatment failure, death and default.
Results: The findings of our study showed that 70% of TB patients were either cured or had completed their TB treatment by the end of 6 months. In multivariate analysis participants living in a shack or traditional housing (Odds Ratio=OR: 0.63, Confidence Interval=CI: 0.45-0.89), being a TB retreatment patient (OR: 1.61, CI: 1.15-2.26) and residing in the eThekwini district (OR: 1.82, CI: 1.27-2.58) were significant predictors of treatment failure, death and default.
Conclusion: A high rate of treatment failure, death and default were found in the TB patients. Several factors were identified that can guide interventions for the prevention of treatment failure, death and default.

Keywords
Tuberculosis; treatment failure; default; determinants; primary care; South Africa