ABSTRACT:
Title: Weight Changes and Demographic Correlates Among DS-TB patient in selected Private facilities in Kwara State: A Descriptive Analysis.

BACKGROUND:
Weight loss is a hallmark of tuberculosis (TB), affecting about 60–70% of patients at treatment initiation in Nigeria. Studies in similar settings show that patients typically gain 5–8 kg over six months of therapy when adherence is adequate. Monitoring weight trajectories provides a critical indicator of treatment response, as limited weight gain may suggest poor adherence, drug resistance, or comorbidities such as HIV. This study assessed weight changes over six months of treatment and explored demographic associations among drug-susceptible TB (DS-TB) patients managed in private facilities.

METHODS:
A purposive sample of 58 DS-TB patients with complete records was analysed (32 females, 55.2%; 26 males, 44.8%). Retrospective data extracted from treatment cards included age, baseline weight, weights at months 2, 5, and 6, and cumulative six-month weight gain. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and correlation tests in SPSS.

RESULTS:
Participants had a mean age of 39.5 years (range: 0.25–86; SD = 18.5). Baseline mean weight was 50.1 kg (SD = 12.2), increasing to 57.7 kg (SD = 11.9) at six months. The average weight gain was 7.6 kg (SD = 3.7), with individual changes ranging from –2.0 to +18.0 kg. Weight gain showed a weak positive correlation with gender (r = 0.26, p = 0.053) but no significant association with age (r = –0.02, p = 0.906). HIV status did not vary by gender, as all participants tested HIV-negative.

CONCLUSIONS:
Patients demonstrated substantial weight improvement over six months, indicating favorable treatment response. Though demographic correlations were not statistically significant, the findings reinforce the value of routine anthropometric monitoring in TB care within private facilities.