TITLE:
Relationship between Nutritional Support and Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in West Bengal, India
AUTHORS:
Blesson Samue, Tyson Volkmann, Sushma Cornelius, Sugata Mukhopadhay, MejoJose, Kaushik Mitra, Ajay M. V. Kumar, John E. Oeltmann, Sidhajyoti Parija, Aslesh Ottapura Prabhakaran, Patrick K. Moonan, Vineet K. Chadha
KEYWORDS:
Nutritional Support, Poverty, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, India
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Tuberculosis Research,
Vol.4 No.4,
December
21,
2016
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Poverty and poor nutrition are associated with the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Socioeconomic factors may interfere with anti-tuberculosis treatment compliance and its outcome. We examined whether providing nutritional support (monthly supply of rice and lentil beans) to TB patients who live below the poverty line was associated with TB treatment outcome. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients living below the poverty line (income of