Level of exposure to childhood tuberculosis in household contacts with adult pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in children is a neglected global health problem, with an increasing proportion of TB cases in Indonesia. Children with TB are most often impacted by TB transmission in the population at large, especially adult TB that exists in the child’s household. This study aimed to find protective factors that can keep children healthy despite household adult TB contacts. This study reports on 132 respondents with a case-control study conducted at nine referred hospitals and several primary health care based on medical records in Special Region of Yogyakarta Province. The study lasted from January to December 2014, while the data analysis was used by both of bivariate (chi-square) and multivariate (multiple logistic regression) analysis. The study found that healthy houses, especially those with healthy bedrooms and fewer exposures to adult TB sufferer, influenced by confounder variables, protected children from TB even though they were exposed to adult TB in their environment. Longer periods of living together is not a risk factor for children to contract TB when living with adult TB patients at home. However, this risk increases with frequent exposure among children to adult TB patients at home.