Study of Scio-demographic and Medical Issues Related to Tuberculosis in Baghdad, Iraq 2012-2016

Objective: The present study aimed at investigating socio-demographic issues of gender, living place, marital status, education and type of Tuberculosis, and medical issues, such as new smear positive cases, causes, treatment and new pulmonary positive cases in Baghdad City, Iraq for 2012-2016. Methodology: A descriptive “retrospective” design was employed throughout the present study from the period of November 12th 2017 to February 13th 2018 in order to investigate socio-demographic and medical issues related to Tuberculosis. A convenient sample of (11680) registered patients with tuberculosis in Baghdad, Iraq for the period of 2012-2016. These patients were males and females and they were one year to over than 65 year of age. An instrument was constructed for the purpose of the study. It is comprised of items that focused on patients’ socio-demographic characteristics of age, gender and type of Tuberculosis (Part I) and items related to tuberculosis, such as causes of Tuberculosis, new smear positive cases, incidence rate of new pulmonary positive Tuberculosis and treatment of drug resistance cases (Part II). A pilot study was conducted for the determination of the study instrument’s content validity, internal consistency reliability and adequacy. The study was carried out for the period of December 10th to 20th 2017. Content validity of the instrument was determined through panel of (15) experts. They were presented with copy of the study instrument and asked to review it and provide comments for its modification to be more appropriate measure of the study. They had reviewed the instrument and presented their comments with an agreement that the instrument is content valid. Internal consistency reliability was determined for the study instrument through the use of split-half technique and measurement of Cronbach alpha correlation coefficient. The result indicated that Cronbach alpha correlation coefficient was r=0.85 which adequately reliable measure for the problem underlying the present study. Data were collected from the health records at the National Tuberculosis Center, State TB center, and district TB center for the period of 2012 to 2016 with the use of the study instrument. Data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistical data analysis approach of frequency, percent, incidence rate and ratio. Results: The study indicated that female patients were slightly larger than male ones. Patients living in the urban area were accounted for the most (91.85%). 41.92%, 18.53%, 31.05% and 8.50% of the patients were married, single, divorced and patients with deceased spouses, and there was