Tuberculosis treatment adherence among TB patients aged 18-60 years attending the TB Clinic at Murchison Bay Hospital, Luzira Prison. A cross-sectional study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71020/8qxsax81Keywords:
Tuberculosis, Treatment adherence, Inmates, Individual factors, TB treatmentAbstract
Background:Despite ongoing efforts such as directly observed therapy, counselling, and the provision of free tuberculosis medication, adherence to TB treatment among inmates remains low. This study aimed to assess the individual factors influencing adherence to TB treatment among TB patients aged 18–60 years attending the TB clinic at Murchison Bay Hospital, Luzira Prison, Kampala District.
Methodology:A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed among 92 TB patients who were selected using random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered, summarized, and presented in tables and figures using Microsoft Excel 2016 and analyzed using frequencies and percentages.
Results:Of the 92 respondents, 57 (62.0%) were male, and 35 (38.0%) were female. 47 (51.1%) reported that they had not missed any TB doses during the previous four weeks, while 45 (48.9%) had missed at least one dose. 49 (53.3%) had been on TB treatment for more than eight months. 41 (44.6%) reported having no chronic illness. The most commonly reported treatment-related side effect was body weakness, reported by 53 (57.6%). Regarding knowledge and perceptions, 70 (76.0%) believed that TB treatment should continue only until they felt well, while 74 (80.4%) did not know the consequences of stopping TB medication early. Additionally, 78 (84.8%) reported that no one helped them remember to take their medication, 84 (91.3%) reported that food was never enough, and 90 (97.8%) had never been regularly observed taking their medication.
Conclusion:Individual factors that influenced TB treatment adherence included reported missed doses, treatment-related side effects such as body weakness, inadequate support in remembering to take medication, and misconceptions regarding the appropriate duration of TB treatment.
References
Alinaitwe, B., Shariff, N. J., & Madhavi Boddupalli, B. (2025). Treatment adherence and its association with family support among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Jinja, Eastern Uganda. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 11150. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96260-8
2. Batte, C., Namusobya, M. S., Kirabo, R., Mukisa, J., Adakun, S., & Katamba, A. (2021). Prevalence and factors associated with non-adherence to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. African Health Sciences, 21(1), 238–247. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v21i1.31
3. Berger, C. A., Kityamuwesi, A., Crowder, R., Lamunu, M., Kunihira Tinka, L., Ggita, J., Sanyu Nakate, A., Namale, C., Oyuku, D., Chen, K., Turyahabwe, S., Cattamanchi, A., & Katamba, A. (2020). Variation in tuberculosis treatment outcomes and treatment supervision practices in Uganda. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 21, 100184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jctube.2020.100184
4. Fekadu, G., Bekele, F., Bekele, K., Girma, T., Mosisa, G., Gebre, M., Alemu, T., Tekle, T., Gamachu, B., & Diriba, A. (2020). Adherence to Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment Among Pediatric Patients at Nekemte Specialized Hospital, Western Ethiopia. Patient Preference and Adherence, 14, 1259–1265. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S258292
5. Gebremariam, R. B., Wolde, M., & Beyene, A. (2021). Determinants of adherence to anti-TB treatment and associated factors among adult TB patients in Gondar city administration, Northwest, Ethiopia: Based on health belief model perspective. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 40(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-021-00275-6
6. Gwalani, R., Shah, H., Saxena, D., Patel, J., Baliyan, S., Thakur, J., Rai, S., Sen, A., & Yadav, A. (2025). Barriers and facilitators of adherence to anti-TB treatment in Western Indian population: A cross-sectional study. Indian Journal of Tuberculosis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtb.2025.06.019
7. Iweama, C. N., Agbaje, O. S., Umoke, P. C. I., Igbokwe, C. C., Ozoemena, E. L., Omaka-Amari, N. L., & Idache, B. M. (2021). Nonadherence to tuberculosis treatment and associated factors among patients using directly observed treatment short-course in north-west Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. Sage Open Medicine, 9, 2050312121989497. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312121989497
8. Jones, A. S. K., Bidad, N., Horne, R., Stagg, H. R., Wurie, F. B., Kielmann, K., Karat, A. S., Kunst, H., Campbell, C. N. J., Darvell, M., Clarke, A. L., Lipman, M. C. I., & on behalf of the IMPACT Study Group (NIHR 16/88/06). (2021). Determinants of non-adherence to anti-TB treatment in high-income, low TB incidence settings: A scoping review. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 25(6), 483–490. https://doi.org/10.5588/ijtld.21.0024
9. Khan, A. H. (2017). Tuberculosis control in Sindh, Pakistan: Critical analysis of its implementation. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 10(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2016.02.007
10. Kidenya, B. R., Mshana, S. E., Gerwing-Adima, L., Kidola, J., & Kasang, C. (2017). Drug adherence and efficacy of smear microscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis after 2 months of medication in North-western Tanzania. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 63, 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2017.07.025
11. Kimani, E., Muhula, S., Kiptai, T., Orwa, J., Odero, T., & Gachuno, O. (2021). Factors influencing TB treatment interruption and treatment outcomes among patients in Kiambu County, 2016-2019. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0248820. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248820
12. Molla, K. A., Reta, M. A., & Ayene, Y. Y. (2022). Prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in East Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 17(6), e0270272. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270272
13. Ndyabahika, D. (2025, May 16). TB in Prisons Eight Times Higher Risk than General Population in Uganda, Study—Makerere University School of Public Health. https://sph.mak.ac.ug/tb-in-prisons-eight-times-higher-risk-than-general-population-in-uganda-study/
14. Ochieng, M., Nyaberi, J., Mambo, S., & Wafula, C. (2024). Healthcare Worker-Related Factors Contributing to Tuberculosis Treatment Non-Adherence among Patients in Kisumu East Sub-County. Journal of Tuberculosis Research, 12(1), 13–33. https://doi.org/10.4236/jtr.2024.121002
15. The New Humanity. (2019, July 4). Overcrowded prisons heighten TB risk. https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2008/07/04/overcrowded-prisons-heighten-tb-risk
16. WHO. (2023a). TB in prisons. https://www.who.int/teams/global-programme-on-tuberculosis-and-lung-health/tb-reports/global-tuberculosis-report-2023/featured-topics/tb-in-prisons
17. WHO, Global Tuberculosis Report. (2024). Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 (1st ed). World Health Organization.
18. WHO. 2026. World TB Day 2026 — Accelerating Action to End TB in Africa. https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/tuberculosis-tb
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Susan Asingura, Habert Mpamize, Hasifa Nansereko, Jane Frank Nalubega, Immaculate Prosperia Naggulu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in any of our journals retain the copyright to their work but agree to grant Burundi Publishing the right of first publication. All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This promotes transparency and fosters wide dissemination of the research.
