Social factors predictors for the tuberculosis cure in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The economic impact of Tuberculosis (TB) leads to the impoverishment of families in low and middle-income countries, even though treatment is offered at no cost. One of the goals of the World Health Organization is that no household affected by TB suffers from the catastrophic costs of the disease. Objective: Identify the social determinants of Tuberculosis in relation to the outcome from seven Brazilian capital cities (Fortaleza – CE, Manaus – AM, Porto Alegre – RS, Recife – PE, Salvador – BA, São Paulo – SP and Vitória – ES), between March 1st of 2014 to April 30 of 2017. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Measures of association between Social Determinants and the TB cure outcome were calculated using bivariate and multivariate analyzes and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (Odds Ratio). Results: From 1.149 participants, 79.37% had a favorable outcome (cure) and 31.8% an unfavorable outcome (death/treatment dropout), that were significative associated with the determinants: age, marital status, occupation, health insurance health, family income, number of rooms and education. Conclusion: The greater chances of cure for TB patients are associated with better socioeconomic conditions and, the low social status is an important barrier to the success of TB treatments.