TB-diabetes comorbidity and associated factors in Maekel Zone, Eritrea: A cross sectional study.

Abstract

Background : In Eritrea, no study document the true burden of TB-diabetes comorbidity. However, diabetes has been constantly increasing with a prevalence of 3.4 %. Similarly, even though TB notification is showing a declining trend the prevalence is 123/100,000 population. With an increasing diabetes trend, the country is at higher risk of rising TB-diabetes comorbidity which can further complicate TB care, control and prevention activities. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the prevalence of diabetes among pulmonary positive TB patients and its influencing factors in Maekel zone, Eritrea. Methods: This study was a cross sectional study conducted in all (11) TB diagnostic and treatment sites of Maekel zone. All consecutive pulmonary positive TB cases who were registered during the period of 2015-2018 in the national TB treatment register and were eligible included in the analysis. Pretested data extraction tool was used to collect the required information. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 23. Simple frequencies, percentages and means were used to describe the data. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was also performed. Results: A total of 490 pulmonary positive TB cases were eligible for the study and the overall prevalence of diabetes among pulmonary positive TB cases was 4.3%. Univariate logistic regression showed that participants with an older age (45-90) were more likely to have TB-diabetes comorbidity (COR: 4.397[CI: 1.675-11.545], p<0.01) than those aged 10-44 years old. In addition, subjects whose weight was 65kg and above were more likely (COR: 7.647[CI: 1.965-29.758], p<0.01) to have TB- diabetes comorbidity than those with lower body weight. Conclusion: TB-diabetes comorbidity observed in this study is low but given the growing diabetes trend in the country, an integrated TB-DM services should be given regularly on full scale at all health facilities.