Risk factors associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in areas with a moderate tuberculosis burden.

Abstract

The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB poses a significant challenge for TB control initiatives on a global scale. This study's aim was to estimate the incidence of MDR-/RR-TB and identify the risk factors associated with their incidence in four provinces in northern Iran. Drug susceptibility testing was conducted using the proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen media. The demographic and clinical data were collected from the Iranian TB registry. Among 1083 individuals diagnosed with TB, 27 (2.5%) were identified as having MDR-/RR-TB, while 73 cases (6.7%) were any drug resistant (ADR). The statistical analysis revealed a significant association between marital status and MDR-/RR-TB (p=0.003). In addition, significant associations were observed between ADR-TB and gender (p=0.035) and previous treatment for TB (p=0.02). Our findings provide important information on the drug resistance pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, as well as risk factors in northern Iran. Given the identified risk factors, creative approaches to promote treatment adherence in TB patients, particularly divorced/widowed women and individuals with a previous history of TB treatment, are required.