Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life of Tuberculosis Patients in Lagos State, Nigeria

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health disease threat in the world, particularly in Nigeria. The burden of TB infection could have a far-reaching effect on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of patients and consequently deterioration in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Accordingly, this study examined the HRQOL of TB patients in directly observed therapy (DOT) centers in Lagos State, Nigeria.  The survey design was used for the study, and a total of twelve public DOT Centers were chosen as the study sites. A sample size of 310 was obtained using the Taro Yamane formula. A structured and validated questionnaire was applied to collect data. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF tool was employed to assess HRQOL. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 23.  Based on the results, the overall status of the HRQOL of the studied TB patients was moderate (average weighted mean = 2.48) on a 4-point scale. The finding of the study also highlighted the significant effect of TB on several domains of HRQOL. The psychological domain had the highest HRQOL score (x̅ = 2.60 ± 0.64), while the environmental domain represented the lowest HRQOL score (x̅ = 2.31 ± 0.63).  Overall, the HRQOL of TB patients was at a moderate level. The disease had no negative impact on the HRQOL of TB patients across all domains. This finding calls upon strategies to ensure a healthy lifestyle and a conducive living physical environment.