Asian Pac. J. Health Sci., 2016; 3 (4):44-48 e-ISSN: 2349-0659, p-ISSN: 2350-0964 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Singoyi et al ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF HEALTH SCIENCES, 2016;3(4): 44-48 www.apjhs.com 44 Document heading doi: 10.21276/apjhs.2016.3.4.7 Research Article Risk factors associated with tuberculosis in adults: a case control study at Ndola Central Hospital, Zambia Stephen Singoyi 1 *, David Mulenga 1 , Mazyanga L. Mazaba 1,2 , Seter Siziya 1 1 School of Medicine,Copperbelt University, P.O. BOX 71191, Ndola, Zambia. 2 World Health Organization, P.O.BOX 32346, Lusaka, Zambia ABSTRACT Background:Tuberculosis (TB) is an air born condition that affects many systems of the human body, usually the lungs first. TB is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Zambia. The objective of the study was to determine risk factors associated with TB. Method: A case-control study was performed among 81 TB patients at Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) and 79 controls.All participants completed a questionnaire regarding socio- demographic and lifestyle variables.Chi-square test was used to determine significant associations anda result yielding a p value of less than 5% was considered statistically significant. Independent factors associated with the outcome were established using a multivariate logistic regression. Adjusted odds ratios(AOR) and their 95% confidenceintervals (CI) are reported. Results: Independent risk factors which were significantly associated with TB were marital status (AOR=0.51; 95% CI[0.21,0.91]),HIV (AOR=2.09; 95% CI[1.34,3.27]),alcohol(AOR=1.71; 95% CI [1.11, 2.63]), smoking (AOR=2.33;95% [1.23, 4.44]), family history (AOR=1.53;95% CI [1.02, 2.29]) and working in mines (AOR=2.64;95%CI [1.29,5.39]). Conclusion: Interventions such as early HIV counselling, testing and initiation of antiretroviral therapy, as well as providing health education on life style risk factors that are associated with TB may prevent TB disease. Key words: Tuberculosis,Risk factors, Ndola Central Hospital, Zambia Introduction TB is a communicable chronic granulomatous disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) which usually affects the lungs but may affect any organ or tissue in the body [1]. As the bacteria try to spread to other parts of the body they are intercepted by the body's immune system. The immune system forms scar tissue or fibrosis around the bacterium, which helps fight the infection and prevents it from spreading within the body and to other people [1]. If the bacteria manage to break through the scar tissue the disease returns to an active state, pneumonia develops and there is damage to kidneys, bones and the meninges that line the spinal cord and brain[1]. The epidemic of TB that affected the northern industrialized countries in _______________________________ *Correspondence Mr. Stephen Singoyi School of Medicine,Copperbelt University,P.O. BOX 71191,Ndola,Zambia E Mail: singoyistephenbthesecond@gmail.com 1900s was mainly associated with social, economic, and environmental factors, including increasing population density, urbanization and poor nutrition[2].The current epidemic, mainly involves developing countries and appears to result from the complex interplay of old socio-economic determinants and new factors, like HIV, the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance andpossibly more virulent strains[2]. TB is associated with poverty, overcrowding, alcoholism, stress, drug addiction and malnutrition. The disease spreads easily in overcrowded, badly ventilated places and among people who are undernourished. This has led to TB being known as a disease of poverty [3]. Non- compliance to TB treatment has also contributed to this rise in incidence and prevalence because it isone of the principal causes of treatment failure, other causes are inappropriate treatment regimens and poorly planned and managed TB control programs[4]. However, TB control activities in Zambia were initiated by the