Table 1 Definitions for this study

1. Treatment adherence was defined as regular medication intake and attending all follow-up medical appointments according to the guidelines. On the contrary, non-adherence referred to missing at least one dose of drugs or one follow-up appointment during the treatment course.

2. Treatment success referred to the completion of the full course of standard treatment and to the curing (become smear-negative) of newly registered smear-positive cases. For patients who started treatment as smear-negative cases, treatment success referred to the completion of the standard treatment course (including the interrupting cases).

3. Interrupter was defined as a patient who pauses treatment for more than three doses or for more than a week but less than eight weeks (eventually returning for treatment).

4. Defaulter was defined as the interruption of treatment for more than eight consecutive weeks. The default case usually needs re-treatment.

5. Lost to follow-up meant patients who dropped out the cohort because of loss of contact or any other reasons.