Background: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) among household contacts of index TB patients in Yangon, Myanmar.
Method: Household contacts were approached at their home. Chest X-ray and capillary blood glucose tests were offered based on World Health Organization and American Diabetes Association guidelines. Crude prevalence and odds ratios of DM and TB among household contacts of TB patients with and without DM were calculated.
Results: The overall prevalence of DM and TB among household contacts were (14.0%, 95% CI: 10.6-18.4) and (5%, 95% CI: 3.2-7.6), respectively. More than 25% of DM cases and almost 95% of TB cases among household contacts were newly diagnosed. Almost 64% of known DM cases among household contacts had poor glycaemic control. The risk of getting DM among household contacts of TB patients with DM was significantly higher (OR-2.13, 95% CI: 1.10-4.12) than those of TB patients without DM. There was no difference in prevalence of TB among household contacts of TB patients with and without DM.
Conclusion: Significant proportions of the undetected and uncontrolled DM among household contacts of index TB patients indicate a strong need for DM screening and intervention in this TB-DM dual high-risk population.
Keywords: TB-DM; contact investigation; diabetes mellitus; screening; tuberculosis.