Tuberculosis Treatment Completion in a United States/Mexico Binational Context

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Border Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant public health challenge in the U.S./Mexico border region.
• Understanding social and structural factors influencing TB disease burden is crucial.
• Identifying treatment completion barriers informs culturally relevant interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify social and structural factors associated with TB disease burden.
• To determine barriers to TB treatment completion in the binational region.
• To inform evidence-based, context-specific interventions for the U.S./Mexico border.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 439 TB patients' medical charts from Yuma County Health Department and Centro de Salud San Luis Río Colorado.
• Exclusion of patients currently undergoing TB treatment.
• Statistical analysis including chi-square, odds ratios, and logistic regression to identify predictors of successful TB treatment.

Main Results:

• Females demonstrated a higher likelihood of completing TB treatment (OR=3.71).
• Absence of drug use and/or HIV diagnosis predicted treatment completion.
• Migration or deportation was the most frequent reason for incomplete treatment (20.78%).

Conclusions:

• Social and structural factors, particularly migration and deportation, significantly impact TB treatment completion.
• Targeted interventions addressing these barriers are needed for the U.S./Mexico border population.
• Public health strategies should consider gender, substance use, and HIV status in TB management.