Multidimensional Health-Related Quality-of-Life Among Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the multi-dimensional health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among tuberculosis patients and examined its association between with their demographic profiles. A cross-sectional survey using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Tuberculosis (FACIT-TB) was carried out on a convenience sample of 87 tuberculosis patients at a large tertiary hospital operating the National TB Control Program (NTP) under the Ministry of Health, Western Region, Saudi Arabia. The overall HRQOL of the respondents is poor, whereas the different dimensions were rated as poor to moderate. The respondents' age, smoking status, duration of TB, experience of travelling outside KSA, and educational attainment exhibited significant association to some degree with some of the dimensions of HRQOL. Strategies to strengthen the treatment support could sustain acceptable levels of physical, social and emotional functioning among TB patients. The need to increase public awareness about tuberculosis is needed to ensure prompt healthcare seeking, early detection, adherence to remedy, and better prognosis.