Choosing incentives to stimulate tuberculosis treatment compliance in a poor county in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis (TB) treatment default is a major constraint of TB control, resulting in continued disease transmission and possibly the emergence of multidrug resistance. Marginalized populations may abandon treatment before being cured. The objective of this study was to evaluate the socioeconomic status (SES) of TB patients and identify potential incentives for improving treatment compliance by SES.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a public health unit in Duque de Caxias, a county with one of the lowest per capita incomes in Rio de Janeiro state. From November 2003 to March 2004, 305 TB patients answered an anonymous questionnaire on socio-demographic aspects, household items and family income, history of previous treatment default, and on incentives for improving treatment adherence. Incentives were classified as economic, administrative, health service support, and habits, and scored as fundamental (3), important (2), desirable (1), or irrelevant (0).


RESULTS
Health service support incentives had the highest scores overall. The aggregate economic incentive score correlated with SES (r = -0.191, p = 0.001). Among the 20% poorest patients, 16.7% had a previous history of default vs. 1.6% among the wealthiest (p = 0.004). Patients with a history of treatment default were significantly more likely to choose health service support incentives than other patients (r = -0.263, p = 0.039).


CONCLUSIONS
Professional commitment will be needed to effect the necessary changes in health service support. Financial support for food and transportation subsidies may be required to improve treatment compliance among the poorest TB patients, i.e. those most likely to have previously defaulted from treatment.
Belo
Marcia Teresa Carreira Teixeira
MT
Gama Filho University. mtbelo@uol.com.br
Selig
Lia
L
Luiz
Ronir Raggio
RR
Hanson
Christy
C
Luna
Ana Lucia
AL
Teixeira
Eleny Guimarães
EG
Trajman
Anete
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011203:Poverty; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents