Factors Associated with Good Quality of Life Among Tuberculosis Patients in Chiang Rai Thailand

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health affecting many countries worldwide. In Thailand, the notification rate of newly diagnosed and relapsed TB cases was 86.4 per 100,000 population in 2023. In Chiang Rai, the notification of tuberculosis was 111 per 100,000 population in 2024. The treatment success rate was 82.4%, while the mortality rate was 12.1%. Chiang Rai province ranked seventh nationally for TB in terms of disease burden. Currently, TB prevention and control efforts focus on active case finding, improving treatment success rates, treating latent TB infection, and managing multidrug-resistant TB. However, these efforts have not fully addressed quality of life and associated factors among TB patients. Therefore, this study aimed to measure quality of life and its associated factors among TB patients. A cross-sectional design assessed quality of life and analyzed factors associated with good quality of life among 317 tuberculosis patients in Chiang Rai Province using the SF-36 for health-related quality of life. The findings revealed that 82.4% of TB patients had a good to very good quality of life. Several factors were significantly associated with better quality of life. These included: being aged 18–45 years, having high school education or above, being employed, and having a monthly income greater than 5,000 baht. In addition, participants with no debt, those who were single, and those living in households with fewer than three members, no comorbidities, a treatment duration of six months, and those following the usual prescribed drug regimen were more likely to have a better quality of life. Therefore, quality of life should be assessed in tuberculosis patients from the start of treatment, and the information should be used to monitor their well-being alongside treatment outcomes. This approach will help improve the effectiveness of tuberculosis patient care in Chiang Rai Province.