TB in Indian adolescents: results from a nationally representative survey, 2015–2016

SETTING: Adolescents (age: 15–19 years) from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–2016), India.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics of adolescents with reported TB and those with a reported household TB exposure.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using secondary data. We assessed the factors associated with TB (reported in adolescents, or in a household member) using log binomial regression. We used height-for-age and body mass index for age Z-scores for stunting and thinness, respectively.

RESULTS: Of the total 277 059 adolescents, 377 (136/100 000, 95%CI 123–151) were reported with TB and this was similar in both sexes. Another 4528 adolescents (1.6%, 95%CI 1.6–1.7) reported household TB exposure. Poverty and urban residence were associated with higher prevalence of TB and household TB exposure. The proportion of stunting was 40.7% (95%CI 33.5–48.0) in adolescents with reported TB and 38.2% (95%CI 36.2–40.2) (P = 0.248) in those with household TB exposure.

CONCLUSION: Prevalence of reported adolescent TB was lower than adult TB. Poverty and urban residence were risk factors for both TB and household TB exposure. Chronic undernutrition was highly prevalent among those reported to have TB and in those at risk of TB by virtue of having household TB exposure.