Socio-economic factors affecting the success of tuberculosis treatment in six counties of Shandong Province, China.
METHODS
Tuberculosis (TB) control in rural China is of high priority in health policy making.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate treatment success among rural TB patients and the determinants of patient and case management and to explore the current status of DOTS implementation in rural China.


METHODS
A patient-based study was conducted in six counties of Shandong Province, China. Study sites were selected by multi-stage random sampling. Subjects were rural smear-positive pulmonary TB patients registered with the county TB dispensaries at study sites who completed treatment during the period October 2006 to September 2007.


RESULTS
This study observed a success rate of 74.5% among 501 participants. The cure rate, of 50.5%, was much lower than the national level. There was a difference in treatment success rates across counties. Factors independently affecting treatment success were patient income, study site, and home visits and supervision by town and village health workers.


CONCLUSIONS
Enhancing financial resources for TB control and effective involvement of human resources are crucial to achieving success with the DOTS strategy in rural China.
Xu
L
L
Institute of Social Medicine and Health Services Management, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China. lzxu@sdu.edu.cn
Gai
R
R
Wang
X
X
Liu
Z
Z
Cheng
J
J
Zhou
C
C
Liu
J
J
Zhang
H
H
Li
H
H
Tang
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D005380:Financing, Government; D017048:Health Care Costs; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology
D000995:Antitubercular Agents