Factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Honduras: a case-control study

Abstract

Introduction: Among public health issues, tuberculosis (TB) and specifically drug resistance-poses a threat to the control and eventual elimination of TB worldwide. Objective: To analyze the factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in Honduras during the period from January 2017 to December 2020. Methods: A case-control study was conducted. The data source was secondary; the database of the Health Surveillance Unit and the National Tuberculosis Laboratory was reviewed, using convenience sampling for cases and simple random sampling for the selection of controls. Results: A total of 78 cases and 234 controls were included. Cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) were predominantly male (60.3%, 47 cases), and female (39.7%, 31 cases). Factors associated with MDR-TB included a history of treatment, which was associated with a higher probability of MDR-TB (aOR = 4.65; 95% CI: 2.36–7.28; p<0.001), and diabetes mellitus, which also showed a significant association (ORa=2.85; 95% CI: 1.33–6.14; p=0.007). Discussion: The factors associated with the development of DR-TB in Honduras were a history of treatment (referring to whether the patient had received prior TB treatment), which increased the likelihood of developing DR-TB fourfold, followed by diabetes, which doubled the likelihood of DR-TB; these findings are consistent with the published literature.