A cross-sectional study on stigma and treatment adherence among tuberculosis patients at selected DOTS centers in Gangtok, Sikkim

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health challenge in India, exacerbated by inadequate treatment adherence and stigma. Methods: A cross-sectional study at directly observed treatment short-course centers in Gangtok evaluated treatment adherence and stigma among 261 TB patients using validated tools and SPSS version 27.0 for data analysis. Results: Among 261 participants, 56.3% were aged 18–33 years, 50.2% were male, 60.9% were Hindu, and 52.1% were married. About 45.3% belonged to the high-income group, 26.1% were graduates, and 28.4% were students, businesspersons, or retirees. Most lived in urban areas (71.6%) and pucca houses (93.9%), with 52.2% from nuclear families and 50.6% having 1–3 members. Clinically, 89.7% had no comorbidities, 70.1% were on a 6-month regimen, 65.9% were in the continuation phase, and 41% were newly diagnosed with drug-sensitive TB. Regarding outcomes, 62.8% were non-stigmatized (95% CI: 56.8–68.5; mean 37.48 ± 12.48) and 82.8% showed good adherence (95% CI: 77.7–86.9; mean 22.13 ± 5.08). A significant moderate positive correlation was found between stigma and adherence (r = 0.390, P < 0.001). No association was observed between adherence and demographic or clinical variables, whereas stigma showed significant associations with age, education, income, drug category, and treatment phase. Conclusion: Participants generally exhibited good adherence and low stigma, with a significant correlation between stigma and adherence, while demographic and clinical variables did not significantly relate to adherence.