Exploring Sex Differences in Risk Factors and Quality of Life Among Tuberculosis Patients in Herat, Afghanistan: A Case-Control Study

Nasar Ahmad Shayan; Ali Rahimi; Saverio Stranges; Amardeep Thind

doi:10.3389/ijph.2024.1606554

Exploring Sex Differences in Risk Factors and Quality of Life Among Tuberculosis Patients in Herat, Afghanistan: A Case-Control Study

Int J Public Health. 2024 Apr 22:69:1606554. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606554. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Nasar Ahmad Shayan^{1

2}, Ali Rahimi^{1

3}, Saverio Stranges^{2

4

5

6}, Amardeep Thind^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Herat University, Herat, Afghanistan.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Curative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jami University, Herat, Afghanistan.
⁴ Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.

Abstract

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health concern in Afghanistan, with a high burden of disease in the western province of Herat. This study explored the risk factors of TB and TB's impact on the quality of life of patients in Herat. Methods: A total of 422 TB patients and 514 controls were recruited at Herat Regional Hospital and relevant TB laboratories between October 2020 and February 2021. Data was collected through interviews using a structured questionnaire and the SF-36 questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Multivariate General Linear Model, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that male sex (p = 0.023), chronic disease (p = 0.038), lower education levels (p < 0.001), and worse health status (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher odds of TB infection. The study also found that TB patients had significantly lower quality of life scores in almost all components (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study provides important insights into the specific ways in which TB affects the wellbeing of patients in Afghanistan. The findings highlight the importance of addressing the psychological and social dimensions of TB.

Keywords: Afghanistan; Herat; case-control; quality of life; risk factors; tuberculosis.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Afghanistan / epidemiology
Case-Control Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Quality of Life*
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tuberculosis* / epidemiology
Tuberculosis* / pathology
Tuberculosis* / psychology
Young Adult

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. No funding was received for writing and publishing this paper, although the Herat University, Faculty of Medicine provided an amount for the data collection.