Effect of Food Support on the Treatment Outcomes of Tuberculosis Patients in Golestan Province, during 2017

Background and Objective: Malnutrition is a significant factor contributing to delays in recovery or failure of tuberculosis (TB) treatment. One nutritional support strategy involves providing food baskets to TB patients during their treatment course. This study was conducted in Golestan Province to determine the effect of food support on the treatment outcomes of TB patients. Methods: This descriptive-analytical observational study, supported by the Community Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health, was conducted longitudinally in two parallel groups in Golestan Province, during 2017. The first group consisted of 129 TB patients under treatment who had received two supportive food baskets and had completed their treatment course. The second group comprised 399 TB patients who did not receive any supportive food baskets. The outcomes, including mortality, treatment non-adherence, treatment failure, and recovery, were tracked for both patient groups by the healthcare system, and the necessary information was recorded in the patients’ records and compared. Results: During an 8-month follow-up period, commencing from the second month of treatment, the increase in the mean weight of patients receiving the supportive food basket was statistically significant (P<0.05). Recovery rates in patients receiving the supportive food basket were determined to be 94.6%, while in patients not receiving the supportive food basket, it was 88.7% (P<0.05). The relative risk of non-recovery in the group not receiving the supportive food basket was 2.078 times that of the group receiving the supportive food basket (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.961-4.494). Conclusion: Receiving a supportive food basket is effective in the treatment of TB patients in Golestan Province.