Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of patients and the treatment characteristics that influence non-adherence to anti-tuberculosis treatment. A transversal case-control study was carried out in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. Of the patients interviewed, 38 were non-adherent and 85 were adherent; all were diagnosed during 2007 and resided in and were treated in the hospitals of the selected municipalities. Factors predictive of non-adherence were assessed through logistic regression analysis. The results indicate that patients whose dwellings had no water supply were nearly 3 times more likely to be non-adherent (OR=2.8, 95%CI 1.1-6.9). Patients who had medical check-ups at hospitals were 3 times more likely to be non-adherent than those with check-ups at a primary health care center (OR=3.2, 95%CI 1.1-8.9). These results allow us to identify patients at risk of non-adherence to antituberculosis treatment as those living in poverty conditions and facing barriers to health care access.