An epidemiological assessment of health status among a cohort of tuberculosis survivors: prospective research in a western Indian city

Long-term follow-up of tuberculosis (TB) is important to monitor treatment outcomes, prevent relapse, and improve patient care. The objectives of the current study are the following: i) to assess various epidemiological parameters among TB survivors, like mortality and morbidity, with emphasis on recurrence status during pre-defined long-term follow-up; ii) to assess factors responsible for the recurrence of TB among study participants. A prospective observational study was conducted among cured cases of pulmonary TB registered at the TB unit of Ahmedabad City, India. As per the calculated sample size, 180 study participants were recruited by systematic random sampling from a list of cured TB cases from July to September 2021. Follow-ups of participants were conducted at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-recruitment. The status of cured cases was assessed by a pre-validated questionnaire. Factors significantly associated with the likelihood of recurrent TB were analyzed using logistic regression. Of the total 180 cured TB cases, 22 (12.2%) developed recurrent TB, and 12 (6.6%) deaths were recorded during the entire follow-up duration of 2 years. Among the cases assessed, 106 (71.6%) were found to be asymptomatic in the context of TB at 2 years post-treatment completion. Around 17 (77.2%) recurrent cases were diagnosed within a year of treatment completion. Factors significantly associated with recurrence were age (p=0.01), body mass index (p=0.02), and socio-economic status (p=0.03) of the study population. Overall recurrence assessed during 2 years of post-treatment follow-up among the cohort of TB survivors was 12.2%. As per the study findings, socio-demographic and nutritional factors play a significant role in the development of recurrent TB, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions.