Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40951265›Full record

ArticleResearch square2025

TB-Related Stigma: A Hidden Obstacle to Adherence Monitoring with Video Directly Observed Treatment Among Patients with Tuberculosis in Uganda.

Kelvin Bwambale, Damalie Nakkonde, Gloria Nassanga, Esther Buregyeya, Sarah Zalwango, Juliet N Sekandi

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In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Kelvin BwambaleMakerere University.
Damalie NakkondeMakerere University.
Gloria NassangaMakerere University.
Esther BuregyeyaMakerere University.
Sarah ZalwangoKampala Capital City Authority.
Juliet N SekandiUniversity of Georgia.

Funding

Emory/Georgia TB Research Advancement Center (TRAC)P30AI168386 · NIAID · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Jeffrey M Collins · 2022 to 2026
$5.8M
Digital Mobile Technologies to study Tuberculosis: A Multi-disciplinary ProgramD43TW012481 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI Juliet Nabbuye Sekandi · 2023 to 2026
$952k
Leveraging Telehealth to Overcome Research Implementation and Data Collection Challenges in the Era of COVID-19R21TW011365 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · PI SEKANDI, JULIET NABBUYE · 2019 to 2021
$371k
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW012481FIC NIH HHS R21 TW011365NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI168386
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Adherence to video directly observed treatment (VDOT) remains inconsistent, with some patients frequently missing video submissions. Stigma associated with tuberculosis (TB) may influence patients' engagement with VDOT, leading to non-adherence. This study examines the effect of baseline TB-related stigma on missed VDOT submissions as a marker of patient engagement throughout treatment among patients with TB. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of 71 patients with TB from the DOT Selfie Randomized clinical trial (RCT) in Kampala, Uganda (July 2020-October 2021). It focused on the association between baseline TB-related stigma and missed video submissions during six months of VDOT. Stigma was measured using a 13-item tool covering self-, anticipated, and public stigma. Self-stigma is when individuals believe and internalize negative views about TB, causing shame and avoiding care. Public stigma involves harmful attitudes and discrimination from others, leading to isolation. Anticipated stigma is the fear of being judged or treated unfairly if one's TB status becomes known. Four negative binomial regression models adjusted for HIV status, alcohol use, household size, marital status, and TB severity were used to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using STATA 14.2. Results: The study included 71 patients with TB with a mean age of 33 years (SD = 12), and 36 (51%) were female. TB-related stigma was highly prevalent, with 51% (95% CI: 39-62) experiencing high levels of overall stigma. The prevalence of public stigma was 97% (95% CI: 90-100), self-stigma was 80% (95% CI: 22-45), and anticipated stigma was 68% (95% CI: 55-78). High overall stigma was significantly associated with an increase in the rate of missed VDOT videos (aIRR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1-3.5). Similarly, patients who reported anticipated stigma missed twice as many VDOT videos as those without anticipated stigma (aIRR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2-3.8). There was no significant association between self and public stigma and missed videos. Conclusion: TB-related stigma, particularly the anticipated fear of judgment, undermines VDOT adherence monitoring. Interventions such as early screening for stigma, patient counselling, and community education are essential to improving outcomes.

Indexed as

Anticipated stigmaPublic-stigmaSelf-stigmaTB-related stigmaTuberculosisUgandaVideo Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT)

Identifiers

PMID40951265
PMCPMC12425048

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.