Disease and treatment-related factors associated with tuberculosis treatment default in Khartoum State, Sudan: a case-control study

Defaulting on tuberculosis (TB) treatment remains a challenge to controlling TB. This case-control study aimed to identify determinants of treatment default among TB patients attending treatment clinics in Khartoum State from May to July 2011. Cases were TB patients who defaulted on treatment and controls were those who completed treatment. Of the 2727 TB patients attending the clinics, 328 (14%) had defaulted. Of these, 185 had resumed treatment before data collection and 143 had not and were eligible as cases. Of the 143, 27 could not be traced and 11 declined to participate. Thus, 105 cases and 210 controls were included and interviewed. The variables significantly associated with treatment default were: rural residence (OR: 2.68; 95% CI: 1.51-4.73), not being on a DOTS programme (OR: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.49-4.30), having side-effects from treatment (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.14-3.29), and having a history of TB (relapse, multidrug-resistant TB or treatment failure) (OR: 5.11; 95% CI: 2.69-9.69). Attention should be paid to these groups at risk of defaulting to encourage treatment adherence and continuation.