1. Understanding the impact of pandemics on long-term medication adherence: directly observed therapy in a tuberculosis treatment cohort pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdowns.
- Author
-
Overbeck, Victoria, Malatesta, Samantha, Carney, Tara, Myers, Bronwyn, Parry, Charles D.H., Horsburgh, Charles R., Theron, Danie, White, Laura F., Warren, Robin M., Jacobson, Karen R., and Bouton, Tara C.
- Subjects
STAY-at-home orders ,DIRECTLY observed therapy ,MYCOBACTERIUM tuberculosis ,PATIENT compliance ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted tuberculosis (TB) treatment services, including directly observed therapy (DOT) programs used to promote medication adherence. We compared DOT adherence embedded in a research study before and after COVID-19 lockdowns in South Africa. Methods: We analyzed data from 263 observational study participants undergoing drug susceptible (DS)-TB DOT between May 2017 to March 2022. Participants enrolled before October 2019 were considered 'pre-COVID-19' and those enrolled after September 2020 were considered 'post-COVID-19 lockdown groups. Negative binomial regression models were used to compare DOT non-adherence rates between the two lockdown groups. We then conducted a sensitivity analysis which only included participants enrolled in the immediate period following the first COVID-19 lockdown. Results: DOT non-adherence rate was higher in the post-COVID-19 lockdown group (aIRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.04–1.96; p = 0.028) compared to pre-COVID-19 lockdown period, adjusting for age, sex, employment status, household hunger, depression risk, and smoked substance use. DOT non-adherence was highest immediately following the initial lockdown (aIRR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.17–2.67; p = 0.006). Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdowns adversely effected adherence to TB DOT in the period after lockdowns were lifted. The change in DOT adherence persisted even after adjusting for socioeconomic and behavioral variables. We need a better understanding of what treatment adherence barriers were exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdowns to improve outcomes in post-pandemic times. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Registration Number: NCT02840877. Registered on 19 July 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF