Abstract

The main obstacle to tuberculosis control in Uganda is noncompliance with treatment, with
a default rate of 13%. Treatment completion rates are reported to be 70% and 29%,
respectively, among patients who cure the disease. This increases the risk of treatment
resistance, relapse, and death, as well as the duration of infectiousness. A cross-sectional
study of 215 TB patients at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital aimed to determine factors
influencing adherence to treatment. The majority of participants (43.70%) were aged 25-34,
with 88.80% from rural areas. The majority of participants (54.90%) had less than a high
school diploma as their highest degree of education. The majority (90.70%) were
unemployed, with 85.10% having a monthly salary of less than $100,000. The level of nonadherence
to treatment was 22.3%. Monthly income and health education on tuberculosis
disease were found to be associated with TB disease at the multivariate level. Patients at
Hoima Regional Referral Hospital's tuberculosis clinic adhered to their treatment regimens
at a high rate of 77.3 percent, but this is inadequate compared to the required adherence
levels of greater than 90% to assist cure.