Prevalence and socioeconomic determinants of tuberculosis among children in Indonesia: Findings from the 2023 Indonesian health survey

Background Children and adolescents are a high-risk population for tuberculosis (TB) infection. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of tuberculosis among children and its socioeconomic determinants in Indonesia. Methods This research analyzes data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (IHS). The sample includes 239,353 children aged 0-14 years and 239,339 heads of households across Indonesia. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. Results The 2023 findings eveal that TB prevalence among children in Indonesia ranges from 699 per 100,000 population, with an overall rate of 241 per 100,000 and the highest prevalence in South Papua. Children aged 5-14 years (aOR 1.961, CI 1.592-2.415), females (aOR 1.558, CI 1.317-1.844), and those in rural areas (aOR 1.260 CI 1.033-1.538) face higher risks. Higher TB risk is associated with household head's having senior high school (aOR 1.871), junior high school (aOR 1.644), or elementary school (aOR 1.377) compared to university education. Employment of household heads in roles such as self-employed (aOR 2.689), civil servants (aOR 2.712), farmers/laborers (aOR 1.965), private employees (aOR 1.830), and other jobs (aOR 1.732) increases risk compared to unemployment. Economi status also infuences risk: poorer (aOR 1.832), middle (aOR 1.707), poorest (aOR 1.277) and richer (cOR 1.124) compared to richest. Conclusion The research concluded that there is a relationship between age, gender, place of residence, head of household education and occupation, and economic status with tuberculosis among children in Indonesia.