A Case Control Studies of Factors that Associated with Tuberculosis of Child

Abstract

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health issue in Magetan District, East Java. Key risk factors include contact history, exposure duration, nutritional status, and parental income. To analyze the association between these factors and TB incidence in children aged 0–5 years. This case-control study was conducted from January to March 2025 at Panekan Health Center, involving 38 respondents (19 cases and 19 controls). Data were collected through structured interviews and medical records. Bivariate analysis used the Chi-square test, and variables with p < 0.25 were entered into logistic regression. TB incidence was significantly associated with contact history (OR = 11.56; 95% CI: 2.41–55.39; p = 0.003), exposure duration (OR = 11.56; 95% CI: 2.41–55.39; p = 0.003), and nutritional status (OR = 10.50; 95% CI: 2.34–47.20; p = 0.003). Parental income was not significant (p = 0.097). Multivariate analysis identified contact history (aOR = 8.67; p = 0.013) and poor nutrition (aOR = 7.87; p = 0.018) as dominant predictors. Contact history and poor nutrition strongly predict childhood TB. Strengthening contact tracing and nutritional programs are essential. This study is limited by small sample size, purposive sampling, and potential reporting bias, which may affect generalizability.