Tuberculosis Prevention among Household Contacts of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Prakhonchai District, Krasang District and Plabplachai District, Buriram Province, Thailand

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to identify the rate of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) preventionby bedroom separation and factors related to the prevention among household contacts of PTB patients. The studywas carried out in 3 districts of Prakhonchai district, Krasang district and Plabplachai district, Buriram Province.Two sources of data had been used, namely TB laboratory records from a TB register and the results of a questionnaireproviding individual information from the household contacts. Descriptive statistics were using to describe thesituation of characteristic of sample. Inferential statistic were using Chi-squared test or Fisher’s extract test to fndout relationship of factors. The multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the model of TB prevention by
using the adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) at 95% confdence interval.The results showed that from 246 household contacts the average age was 43.0 ± 18.3 years. Householdcontacts had a separate bedroom was 69.5% (95%CI = 63.3-75.2) most of these were male (75.0%) and agegroup of over than 60 years (77.4%). From Univariate analysis, factors related to the prevention of PTB wererelationship with the patient as a husband / wife (OR = 12.8; 95% CI = 6.4-25.8), bedroom separationbefore TB treatment (OR = 86.4; 95. % CI = 44.0-1605.5), no drinking (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.0-3.4),take care of TB patients before treatment (OR = 13.6; 95% CI = 4.2-7.0), take care of TB patients duringtreatment (OR = 11.1; 95% CI = 3.4-57.0), had chest x-ray examination in earlier 6 months (OR = 1.9;
95% CI = 1.0-3.4), middle-low knowledge level of the household contacts (OR. = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2-0.9)and behavior of the household contacts (OR = 6.9; 95%CI = 2.8-20.4). Multivariate analysis identifed thatfactors related to the prevention of PTB were poor economic status of the family (ORadj= 2.9; 95% CI = 1.1-
8.0), bedroom patients separation before TB treatment (ORadj= 290.1; 95% CI = 58.9-1428.3), take care ofTB patients during treatment ( ORadj= 8.6; 95% CI = 1.6-43.9) and middle-low knowledge level of thehousehold contacts (OR = 0.2;95% CI = 0.1-0.5).This study suggest that there should be TB screening among household contacts, particularly those withno separate bedroom from TB patients during treatment. Health education should be provided to the TB patients
and the family members within the frst month of the treatment to prevent PTB and outbreaks of PTB in thecommunity.