Boonyarat Punta. Association between depression and treatment adherence among pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the Chest Disease Institute, Nonthaburi province, Thailand . Master's Degree(Epidemiology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2008.
Association between depression and treatment adherence among pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the Chest Disease Institute, Nonthaburi province, Thailand
Abstract:
This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between
depression and adherence to tuberculosis treatment. Subjects were 350 patients
receiving tuberculosis treatment and coming for follow up visits at the tuberculosis
clinic of the Chest Disease Institute, Nonthaburi province from May 25 to September
30, 2007. Depression, health behavior, social support and treatment adherence were
determined by self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test
and multivariate analysis by logistic regression with 95% confidence interval was
used to analyse the results.
The results of this study showed the prevalence of depression in subjects was
33.1% and only 39.4% of the subjects had good treatment adherence. The factors
related to treatment adherence were age (OR for age group > 60 years=3.40,
95%CI=1.31-8.84), gender (OR for male=1.68, 95%CI=1.03-2.75), education level
(OR for senior high school=2.03, 95%CI=1.05-4.10) and depression (OR=1.83,
95%CI=1.10-3.07).
Although depression is not the only factor that leads pulmonary tuberculosis
patient to poor adherence to treatment, it is an important factor and it can be treated.
The researcher suggests that it is reasonable to assess the psychiatric status of the
patient with particular reference to depression of an early phase of treatment and to
ensure appropriate and timely intervention.