Association of Perceived Social Support and Medication Doses Interruption Among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Western India: A Cross-sectional Study

Despite the ongoing global and national efforts, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in developing countries like India. Studies in India have explored the role of social support in TB medication adherence, however, there is limited research that focuses on quantifying the association of patient’s perceived social support. This cross-sectional study aims to fill this gap and aims to examine and quantify the association between perceived social support and medication dose interruption among pulmonary TB patients in Western India. A sample of 477 participants was recruited from three directly observed treatment centers. Data on participants' medication dose interruption in the last month, their clinical characteristics, and their perceived social support were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for analysis. Perceived social support presented a significant association with TB medication dose interruption and its frequency. Compared to those with high social support, respondents who reported low social support were significantly 2.6 times more likely to report medication dose interruption in the last month [Adjusted OR = 2.6 (95% CI: 1.556–4.403), P<0.001]. More specifically, family support was also observed to be significantly associated with medication dose interruption. Respondents who reported low family support were significantly 4.1 times more likely to miss their doses when compared with respondents who reported high family support [Adjusted OR =4.1 (95% CI: 2.482–7.070), P<0.001]. This study contributes to identifying and quantifying the association between perceived social support and medication dose interruption. It could potentially inform various policymakers, researchers, program implementation experts, and field personnel in formulating the desired intervention strategy to combat this unmet challenge of medication adherence among TB patients in India.