African Clinical Psychology Review | 25 July 2009
Community Health Workers' Impact on Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence in South African Townships,: A Longitudinal Study
S, i, p, h, o, M, o, t, s, a, ,, N, o, n, t, o, k, o, N, x, e, n, x, e, n, y, a, n, e, ,, Z, o, l, a, N, g, u, b, a, n, e, ,, L, e, t, l, h, a, M, o, g, o, b, v, o
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a prevalent infectious disease in South African townships, where access to healthcare services can be limited and inconsistent. A longitudinal study design was employed with a sample size of 450 participants, stratified by township type (urban vs. rural) and gender. Data collection included self-reported adherence surveys and biometric monitoring of medication intake. Community health workers significantly increased treatment adherence rates by 20% in urban areas compared to baseline levels, with a confidence interval for the effect size at 95%. Rural areas showed an initial improvement but required further intervention strategies to achieve similar outcomes. The study confirms the positive impact of community health worker programmes on TB treatment adherence, particularly in urban settings. Future research should explore tailored interventions for rural populations. Implementing a more diverse and targeted approach is recommended for achieving sustainable improvements in rural areas. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.