Prevalence and associated risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis among suspected patients in Sawla General Hospital, Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

TB is a chronic infectious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Ethiopia is ranked 12th among the 30 countries with a high TB burden. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among suspected patients in Sawla General Hospital, Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 253 suspected tuberculosis (TB) patients who visited Sawla General Hospital between September 21 and October 24, 2023. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Sputum samples were examined using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics are presented as frequencies and percentages. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with tuberculosis. A p value < 0.05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS

The age range of the study participants was 18 to 89 years, with a mean age of 38.9 years and a standard deviation of 12.0 years. Among 253 suspected TB patients, 27 (10.7%) were identified as having PTB. A relatively higher proportion of PTB cases 18.4% (7/38) was observed among individuals aged 45-54 years, 11.8% (13/110) of females, 16.2% (11/68) of urban residents, 33.3% (2/6) of widowed individuals, and 22.2% (2/9) of students. According to the current study, smoking status and khat chewing status were significantly associated with PTB, with AORs of 3.547 (1.084, 11.605; 95% CI) and 2.852 (1.029, 7.904; 95% CI), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Cigarette smoking and khat chewing were found to be associated with PTB. These findings suggest that targeted health education and behavioral interventions may be beneficial.