Risk factors of childhood tuberculosis: a case control study from rural Bangladesh

Background: Childhood tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major causes of childhood morbidity andmortality; however, it is relatively a neglected disease. Hence, we explored the risk factors forchildhood TB.Methods: Ninty-five cases and 94 controls were selected during January to May 2011 from DOTScentres located in four sub-districts of Bangladesh. The exposure status of recently diagnosedchildhood TB patients (<18-year-olds), who were sputum-positive, were compared with childrenwho were sent to the laboratory with suspected tuberculosis but were found to be sputum-negative.Data were collected by a structured questionnaire. Crude odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratio(AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Stepwise logistic regression model wasused to identify independent predictors.Results: Children under 14 years of age (AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10-0.66), having completedprimary education (AOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.10-0.74), whose fathers’ were in business or service(AOR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08-0.72), and who slept in a less crowded room (AOR: 0.32; 95% CI:0.14-0.76), lived in a house with a separate kitchen (AOR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.16-0.96) had lesschance of having TB. Those who had contact with cases of TB among relatives or neighbours wereless likely to have TB (AOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.16-0.70) compared to those who had contact witha TB case in the family.Conclusion: Age, education, father’s occupation, crowding, kitchen location and intimate contactwith a TB case were significantly associated with smear-positive childhood TB.