Table 3: Association between age and confidence to complete the regimen N = 50
Age
Are you confident that you will be able to complete the regimen?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. 20-40 12 29.3 0 0
2 6.275
b. 41-60 18 43.9 3 33.3
c. >60 11 26.8 6 66.7
Table 3 shows that there is a significant association between the age of the patients and their confidence to complete the regimen, χ2 value was significant at P< 0.05.
144 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2018, Vol.9, No. 2
Table 4: Association between the age and getting reminded at home about taking medication N = 50
Age does anyone at home remind you about taking medication?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. 20-40 10 20.8 2 100
2 6.597
b. 41-60 21 43.8 0 0
c. >60 17 35.4 0 0
Table 4 shows that there is a significant association between the age and getting reminded to take medicines. χ2 value was significant at P< 0.05.
Table 5: Association between the age and feeling irritable with the taste of the medicine N = 50
Age
do you feel irritable with the taste of the medicine?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. 20-40 7 18.9 5 38.5
2 9.101
b. 41-60 13 35.1 8 61.5
c. >60 17 45.9 0 0
Table 5 shows there is significant association between the age and getting irritable with the taste of medication.
χ2 value was significant at p<0.05.
Table 6: Association between the job and discontinuing treatment once the symptoms are resolved N = 50
Job
did you discontinue the treatment once the symptoms resolved?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. Employed 12 50 19 73.1
2 7.590
b. Unemployed 6 25 7 26.9
c. Others 6 25 0 0
Table 6 shows there is significant association between job and discontinuing the treatment once the symptoms are resolved. χ2 value was significant at p <0.05
Table 7: Association between the income and discontinuing treatment once the symptoms are resolved N = 50
Income
did you discontinue treatment once symptoms resolved?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. Below 10,000 3 12.5 7 26.9
3 10.470
b. 10,001-20,000 8 33.3 16 61.5
c. 20,001-30,000 8 33.3 2 7.7
d. >30,000 5 20.8 1 3.8
Table 7 shows there is a significant association between the income and discontinuing the treatment once symptoms are resolved. χ2 value was significant at p <0.05.
Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, April-June 2018, Vol.9, No. 2 145 Table 8: Association between marital status and waiting long time to see doctor N = 50
Marital status
do you wait long time to see the doctor?
df Chi square
yes No
Number % Number %
a. Married 33 100 15 88.2
1 4.044
b. Single 0 0 2 11.8
c. Divorced 0 0 0 0
d. Widow/widower 0 0 0 0
Table 8 shows that there is a significant association between the marital status and noncompliance to treatment due to long waiting time to see the doctor. χ2 value was significant at p<0.05.
The present study revealed that the factors contributing to noncompliance were inadequate confidence level of patients about completion of treatment, getting irritable with the taste of the medication, discontinuing the treatment once the symptoms are resolved, and waiting for long time to see the doctor. There was a significant association between some of the demographic variables with the contributing factors. The subjects of >60 years of age (26.8%) were least confident to complete the regimen and also 45.9% of them were getting irritable with the taste of medication. 41-60 years of age (43.8%) were the most getting reminded at home about taking medication. Employed subjects (50%) and those with income of 10001- 30000 (33.3%) had discontinued treatment once the symptoms were resolved. Married subjects (33) discontinued the treatment because of long waiting time to see the doctor.
A concurrent study conducted in National university of Singapore showed that the preliminary evaluation revealed a number of factors that contributed to therapeutic noncompliance. These factors could be categorized to patient-centered factors, therapy-related factors, social and economic factors, healthcare system factors, and disease factors. For some of these factors, the impact on compliance was not unequivocal, but for other factors, the impact was inconsistent and contradictory.13
Another Study conducted at Kollam showed that to ensure adherence to tuberculosis treatment needs individualized patient wise system which should be based on their awareness, literacy, and attitude of family members.12
CONCluSION
The study showed that there is a significant association between demographic variables and contributing factors of noncompliance such as less
confidence level for completion of treatment, no one at home reminded them to take medicine, irritable taste of the medicine, discontinuing once symptoms are resolved and long waiting time to see the doctor. It necessitates the need for additional education to patients on tuberculosis treatment to prevent the noncompliance.
Financial Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: There is no conflict of interest among the authors.
ethical Clearance: The research proposal and tools were presented before the research committee of Amrita College of Nursing and was approved. After getting the permission from the institutional ethical committee, AIMS formal administrative permission was obtained from head of the department of pulmonary medicine, AIMS, before the data collection. Assurance was given to the subjects that confidentiality will be maintained and consent was obtained from the subjects before conducting the study.
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