Hypothesis Open Access

Epidemiological Characteristics Associated with Smoking in Patients with Tuberculosis: A Case-control Study

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with smoking in patients with tuberculosis

Methods: Case-control study conducted in the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu-PR, Brazil between 2009 and 2018. Odds Ratio (OR) and confidence intervals were calculated to analyze the chance of occurrence of smoking (cases) according to social demographic, clinical and diagnostic variables. Follow-up variables were submitted to descriptive analysis.

Results: Evidence of association was identified between smoking and individuals with no or a low education level (OR 2.10; CI95% 1.14-3.87), homelessness (OR 2.99; CI95% 1.,07-8.38), pulmonary tuberculosis (OR 3.57; CI95% 1.72-7.34), alcoholism (OR 3.58; CI95% 2.39-5.38), drug use (OR 8.11; CI95% 4.89-13.46), re-entry after default (OR 2.50; CI95% 1.32-4.74) and X-ray with tuberculosis-suspicion result (OR 3.53; CI95% 1.03-12.08). Smokers had a higher rate of treatment default when compared to non-smokers.

Conclusion: It was evidenced that smoking among tuberculosis cases is associated with low education levels, homelessness, and patients who use alcohol and illicit drugs. Moreover, smoking is directly linked to more severe radiological images of pulmonary tuberculosis and is more prevalent in cases that default treatment.

Edvaldo Tonin¹, Rubia Laine De Paula Andrade²*, Ana Maria De Almeida², Adriana Zilly¹, Tereza Cristina Scatena Villa², Marcos Augusto Moraes Arcoverde¹, Érica Alves Ferreira Gordillo¹, Antônio Ruffino-Netto3, Reinaldo Antonio Silva-Sobrinho¹

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