DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i12.025

Pages: 4307-4310

India carries the world’s largest burden of TB. The purpose of this study was to examine the socioeconomic factors among non-smoking rural women with pulmonary tuberculosis. 109 women between the ages 20-65 years of age were recruited. Cases were newly diagnosed smear-positive female TB patients. A standardized questionnaire was administered to all participants in their homes to obtain the detail of the socioeconomic factors. 70.6% were illiterate patients where as 29.4% were literates; 31% of patients were employed and worked outdoors whereas 69% were housewives; 63% of patients gave a history of contact with patient with tuberculosis where as 37% did not give the history of contact with TB patient. In this pilot study the socioeconomic factors for tuberculosis has been evaluated. Among the factors examined illiteracy, indoor occupation and contact with tuberculosis was found significant. It is essential to understand the socio-economic dimensions of the disease in a community to enable implementation of appropriate interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to TB.