Title : Risk factors of TB-HIV co-infection in children receiving antiretroviral therapy in Imo state
Abstract:
Background:
HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are leading causes of childhood mortality in Africa. TB in HIV-infected children remains under-reported in sub-Saharan Africa despite being fatal. Hence, this study aims to determine the factors associated with TB-HIV co-infection in children receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Imo State, Nigeria.
Method:
A case-control study using multistage random sampling was adopted for this study. The study population consisted of all children confirmed HIV positive with or without TB and are receiving Anti-Retroviral Treatment in Imo State. A 30-item structured questionnaire was used and analysed with SPSS version 22.
Results:
A total of 120 participants were recruited for the study (30 cases; 90 controls) with equal males and females. The largest proportion of the subjects were among the 15 – 17 years old at 39.2% (cases =40.0%, control =38.9%). Significant risk factors included family size > 3 children, exposure to tobacco smoke at home, a person living with HIV at home or a person with TB in a household.
Conclusion:
There is a need to mitigation of these risk factors through advocacy and policymaking by the government and stakeholders.
Keywords: HIV/TB; Coinfection; HIV/AIDS; Nigeria; Tuberculosis
