ABSTRACT
Objective To identify factors that affect the occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly over 60 years old in Urumqi, and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis in the elderly. Methods A 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted using a self-designed questionnaire from April 2016 to April 2017 in Urumqi, China. A conditional logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the influencing factors for the occurrence of TB in the elderly. Results A total of 575 valid questionnaires were collected in the present study, and the age range was 60-89 years old. There were 302 males, accounting for 52.5% of the total. Multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that an increase of one person per 100 square meters in a home elevated the risk of the development of TB by 67% (odds ratio (OR) 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-2.06; P<0.001). Family income level was also important, and the risk of TB development was 4.72 times higher in families with less than 5,000 CNY a month than those with monthly incomes over 10 000 CNY (OR 4.72; 95%CI 2.29-9.75; P<0.001). The risk was significantly higher among people going out more than 3 to 7 days a week compared to those going out 0 to 2 days a week (OR 4.53; 95%CI 2.72-7.53; P<0.001). Compared with people who were not in contact with TB patients, the risk increased among those who had TB contacts (OR 3.72; 95%CI 1.45-9.70; P=0.006). In addition, the risk of TB onset in hypertension patients was significantly decreased (OR 0.57; 95%CI 0.35-0.91; P=0.018). Conclusion In the present study five factors are found to be associated with the occurrence of TB among the elderly in Urumqi, China. The future TB control program should pay special attention to the elderly population with the above risk factors.