Treatment adherence and its association with family support among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Jinja, Eastern Uganda

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity globally. Regardless of the efforts to combat the disease, poor treatment adherence has resulted in treatment failure. As such, there is increased community transmission of TB, resulting in a persistently high burden of disease. In this baseline cross-sectional study, the aim was to determine the level of TB treatment adherence and the effect of family support on adherence. Adherence was assessed using a 6-item Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). A total of 147 TB patients were enrolled. Two in three (65.3%, 95% CI 57.6-73.0) of the patients had a high level of adherence. Forms of actual family support, including medication reminders, encouragement, and emotional support, were significantly associated with adherence (p < 0.05). Having no caregivers and missing refill appointments were associated with poor average adherence scores (p < 0.0001). The level of perceived family support moderated the effect of actual family support on adherence (p < 0.05). The findings underscore the significance of both tangible and perceived family support in improving TB treatment adherence. There is a high need to integrate the family support dimensions into TB care. Patients' perceptions regarding family support should inform the design and implementation of adherence-promoting interventions.