Knowledge of Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Side Effects and Adherence among TB Patients in Sungai Pinyuh

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that remains a significant public health problem in Indonesia. Adherence to anti-tuberculosis drug (ATD) therapy is a crucial factor in treatment success; however, drug side effects may affect patient adherence. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the level of knowledge regarding ATD side effects and medication adherence among TB patients in Sungai Pinyuh District. This study used an observational analytic design with a cross-sectional approach. Data were collected through a knowledge questionnaire and secondary data from the Tuberculosis Information System. The sample consisted of 100 TB patients selected using a purposive sampling technique. The results showed that most respondents had a fairly good level of knowledge, although some misconceptions regarding ATD side effects were still found. Medication adherence based on several indicators showed relatively good results, with 89 respondents classified as adherent and 11 respondents as non-adherent, characterized by loss to follow-up and forgetting to take medication. The analysis showed a significant relationship between the level of knowledge regarding ATD side effects and medication adherence among TB patients, with a p-value of 0.045 (p < 0.05).