Time to Recovery from Undernutrition and Its Predictors among Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis is an emerging epidemic disease worldwide. Estimating the duration of recovery from malnutrition and identifying its determinants are crucial for practical and evidence-based public health decision-making among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis who are experiencing non-nutrition. This study aimed to assess the time to recovery from undernutrition and its predictors among multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis patients in Addis Ababa.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who received MDR-TB treatment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from June 1, 2017, to July 30, 2022. The records of 381 MDR-TB patients were randomly selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using a pretested and structured data extraction checklist. Descriptive statistics were performed using graphs and frequencies. We constructed bivariable and multivariable Cox regression models to identify predictors of undernutrition among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Results: The undernutrition recovery rate was 8.353 per 1000 person-days. The median nutritional recovery time of the entire cohort of the study was 86 days, with an interquartile range of ±57.12 days. Age ≥ 55 years (AHR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.15 - 0.75), living in a single room (AHR = 1.49, 95% CI =1.09 - 2.03), low household income (AHR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44 - 0.88), and co-infection with HIV (AHR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.17 – 0.46) were found to be significant predictors of nutritional recovery time.

Conclusion: In this study, we found that approximately 77% of the malnourished patients recovered, with a median recovery time of 86 days. Age, housing condition, HIV status, and household income were found to be predictors of nutritional recovery time. Health care providers should place special emphasis on patients who are HIV positive, are old and have a low household income to improve nutritional recovery time.