Abstract / Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) treatment supporters play a critical role in ensuring treatment adherence and patient recovery, yet their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains insufficiently studied in high TB burden settings such as Ghana. Understanding the socio-demographic factors associated with their well-being is important for strengthening people-centered tb care. This study assessed the socio-demographic characteristics and HRQoL of TB treatment supporters and examined factors associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 TB treatment supporters selected from six health facilities in the Bono Region of Ghana using proportional allocation and systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, including socio-demographic variables and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were computed using standard SF-12 scoring algorithms and norm-based scoring procedures derived from the U.S. reference population (mean = 50, SD = 10). for regression analysis, hrqol scores were dichotomized using the standard norm-based threshold of 50, where scores <50 were classified as “poor HRQoL” and scores ≥50 as “good HRQoL.” Bivariate analyses were performed using independent t-tests, ANOVA, and chi-square tests. Variables with p < 0.20 in bivariate analysis, together with theoretically relevant variables identified a priori, were included in multivariable logistic regression models. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Most participants were aged 35–44 years (43.8%), male (53.8%), married (71.0%), and engaged in farming (56.0%). Family members constituted 71.5% of treatment supporters the mean PCS score was 50.4 ± 9.7, while the mean MCS score was 44.2 ± 10.9, indicating relatively preserved physical health but reduced mental well-being. In the physical HRQoL model, female treatment supporters had lower odds of good physical HRQoL compared with males (AOR = 0.52], 95% CI [0.31–0.87]), while married treatment supporters also had lower odds of good physical HRQoL compared with their unmarried counterparts (AOR = [0.48], 95% CI [0.26–0.88]). In the mental HRQoL model, treatment supporters with low income had lower odds of good mental HRQoL compared with those with higher income (AOR = [0.44], 95% CI [0.25–0.78]). Among TB treatment supporters in rural Ghana, physical HRQoL was comparable with population norms, whereas mental well-being was poorer. Gender, marital status, household size, and income were associated with HRQoL. TB care should extend beyond patients to include supporters through psychosocial, financial, and gender-responsive interventions.