Table 3. Bivariable and multivariable associations between study variables and time to a poor treatment outcome (death or failure).
| Characteristic | Unadjusted HR | Adjusted HR | |
| (95% CI) | (95% CI) | ||
| HIV status | Positive | 0.66 (0.36–1.20) | 0.77 (0.41–1.45) |
| Negative | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) a | Severely low (<16) | 4.99 (2.27–10.95)** | 5.50 (2.38–12.69)** |
| Low (16 to 18.49) | 2.73 (1.30–5.75)** | 2.75 (1.27–5.93)** | |
| Normal (≥18.5) | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| History of working in South Africa | Yes | 1.82 (0.98–3.38)** | 2.37 (1.24–4.52)** |
| No | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | <10 | 1.58 (0.83–3.02) | 1.18 (0.60–2.34) |
| ≥10 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Age (years) | <35 | 1.00 | – |
| ≥35 | 1.48 (0.75–2.92) | – | |
| Sex | Male | – | |
| Female | 1.00 | – | |
| Albumin (g/L) | <34 | 1.91 (0.84–4.36) | – |
| ≥34 | 1.00 | – | |
| Resting respiratory rate (breaths/min) | <30 | 1.00 | – |
| ≥30 | 1.14 (0.57–2.26) | – | |
| At least two previous TB treatments | Yes | 1.50 (0.79–2.85) | – |
| No | 1.00 | – | |
| Previous exposure to second-line TB drugs | Yes | 0.72 (0.28–1.83) | – |
| No | 1.00 | – | |
| Fibrotic or cavitary lesions on chest radiograph | Yes | 1.20 (0.58–2.48) | – |
| No | 1.00 | – | |
| Bilateral disease on chest radiograph | Yes | 2.30 (0.53–9.91) | – |
| No | 1.00 | – | |
| Extrapulmonary TB | Yes | 1.61 (0.55–4.69) | – |
| No | 1.00 | – |
Note: HR: hazard ratio; CI: confidence interval; BMI: body mass index.
a
For patients under 20 years of age, severely low BMI was defined as < −3 standard deviations, low BMI was defined as < −2 standard deviations, according to World Health Organization BMI-for-age charts for 5–19 years, 2–5 years.
**
Significant at the p<0.1 level.