title: Loss to follow up from isoniazid preventive therapy among adults attending HIV voluntary counseling and testing sites in Uganda.
abstract: Among HIV-infected adults attending non-governmental organization voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) sites in Uganda that provide a nine-month course of isoniazid preventive treatment (IPT), we report on loss to follow-up (LTFU) and its associated risk factors. The design was a retrospective cohort study of program data spanning a three year period (2006-2008). A total of 586 IPT patients were enrolled of whom 335 (57.1%) were females with a mean age of 34 years. Of those starting IPT, 341 (58.1%) were lost to follow-up, 197 (33.6%) completed IPT, 29 (4.9%) were discontinued and 19 (3.2%) died. The return rates at one, three, five and seven months were 78.0% (457), 62.1% (364), 52.9% (310) and 33.6% (197) respectively. Being less than 30 years of age, widowed, separated, or divorced were found to be associated with a higher risk of loss to follow-up. Sudden improvement in retention on IPT was observed between the years 2006 and 2007, although causes of the improvement are poorly understood hence the need for more research. At non-governmental VCT sites in Uganda, six out of ten individuals enrolled on IPT are lost to follow-up and efforts to reduce this attrition including systems strengthening might play a critical role in the success of IPT programs.
authors.affiliation: Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda. namuwengep@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Namuwenge
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Mukonzo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiwanuka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wanyenze
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Byaruhanga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bissell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zachariah
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059012:Lost to Follow-Up; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007538:Isoniazid