Analysis of medical care seeking delay in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and influencing factors in Chongqing, China.

BACKGROUND: Due to various reasons, delayed medical treatment for tuberculosis patients is a common phenomenon. It is particularly necessary to explore the influencing factors of the delay in medical treatment of pathogenic-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and take targeted solutions to control tuberculosis.

METHODS: In the present study, data on pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Chongqing from 2019 to 2024 were extracted from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Epidemiological characteristics and delayed medical consultation were first analyzed descriptively, followed by the application of a binary logistic regression model to identify the factors associated with delayed medical consultation in this population.

RESULTS: From 2019 to 2024, 25,438 cases of pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were reported by Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, with a gender ratio of 2.405:1. 20,640 cases were delayed in seeking medical treatment, with a delay rate of 81.14%. The analysis of the influencing factors of the delayed visit of pathogenic-positive pulmonary tuberculosis showed that the registered residence type and occupation were the influencing factors of the delayed visit of patients (&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05).

CONCLUSION: The delay in seeking medical treatment for pathogen-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Chongqing is still common and unevenly distributed. It is necessary to strengthen early diagnosis and treatment, improve patients&#x2019; awareness of prevention and treatment, and reduce the delay rate in seeking medical treatment.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-27170-1.