PREVALENCE OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG THE POPULATION AT RISK IN BATKHELA, MALAKAND

Abstract

Tuberculosis is the most prevalent disease throughout the world. Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs. TB is caused by a type of bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This disease spreads through the air when infected people cough sneeze or spit. It also affects other organs like kidney, brain or spine. This study aims to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis, male and female ratio among district Malakand population. The sample for the present study was 302, the present study was based on questionnaire, interviews and personal interaction. A total of 302 cases were studied in which 169 (54%) were male and 139 (46%) were female. The ratio of male was higher than female. In male the prevalence of tuberculosis was 55.6% and in female the ratio was 44.4%. The common complications found associated with tuberculosis are, fever were 49.7%, night sweat 15.9%, weight loss 3%, severe cough 30.1%, coughing up blood 0.7%. Study concluded that the prevalence of disease was comparatively higher in male than female according to their ratio. Associated risk factors such as smoking, living condition, poverty, BCG vaccine play a major role in causing disease.

Keywords: Prevalence, Pulmonary tuberculosis, Associated risk factors.