Caregivers' knowledge and perceptions are associated with children's TB preventive treatment completion

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is vital for preventing tuberculosis (TB) in children.
• Understanding factors influencing IPT completion is essential for effective TB control programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between caregiver knowledge and perceptions of IPT and pediatric IPT completion.
• To identify factors influencing the successful completion of IPT in children.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective medical record review of 550 children who initiated IPT in South Lima, Peru (2017-2018).
• Structured surveys administered to caregivers regarding their knowledge and perceptions of IPT.
• Modified Poisson regression used to determine factors associated with IPT completion.

Main Results:

• 31% of children did not complete IPT.
• Low caregiver knowledge (aRR 1.41), low perception of IPT importance (aRR 1.76), and low caregiver satisfaction (aRR 1.57) were associated with non-completion.
• Adverse events (aRR 2.08) and household dysfunction (aRR 1.53) also significantly impacted IPT completion.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric IPT completion is strongly linked to caregiver knowledge, perceptions, and satisfaction with healthcare services.
• Addressing caregiver factors, monitoring adverse events, and improving healthcare interactions are key to enhancing IPT completion rates.