Correlates of tobacco use among tuberculosis patients in South Africa: A brief report

Abstract

This study examined tobacco use by tuberculosis (TB) patients through socio-health variables. The sample comprised 724 TB patients (mean age 37.1 years, SD = 11.3; males = 71.4%) receiving care from 40 primary health facilities across South Africa. They completed a questionnaire at baseline and also at a six-month follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression analysis using generalised estimation equation (GEE) modelling found that daily or almost daily tobacco use significantly reduced over time overall. In terms of socio-health variables, males and those with a comorbid chronic disease had had signficantly higher usage of tobacco over the observation period.

Keywords:

• tuberculosis
• tobacco use
• comorbidity
• longitudinal study
• South Africa

Acknowledgments

The study was commissioned by the Department of Health in South Africa through a tender ‘NDOH: 21/2010–2011 Implementation and monitoring of Screening and Brief Intervention for alcohol use disorders among Tuberculosis patients’ that was awarded to the Human Sciences Research Council.