EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine

Aim: This study provides comprehensive insights into the co-morbidity of diabetes and tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Methodology: This study was cross-sectional in design. The population under study consisted of individuals in Nigeria diagnosed with diabetes and/or tuberculosis. A purposive sampling technique was employed for data collection. The inclusion criteria for the study were individuals who were diagnosed with diabetes and/or tuberculosis and were receiving treatment for the condition(s). A structured questionnaire was administered to three hundred and eighty (380) patients diagnosed with diabetes and/or tuberculosis and attending the outpatient clinic of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Data collected were coded and entered into SPSS (version 26.0) for analysis. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) were calculated for each variable in the study. Cross-tabulation was performed to examine the relationships between variables and Chi-square tests were used to test for statistical significance. The p-value was set at 0.05 for statistical significance.

Results: The results showed that 70.73% of the respondents were diagnosed with diabetes and 36.86% with tuberculosis. Among the participants with both diseases, 39.29% were diagnosed with tuberculosis before diabetes, 46.43% after, and 14.29% at the same time. An important finding of this study revealed that 64.29% of participants with both conditions noticed interactions or effects between their diabetes and tuberculosis conditions. Factors such as age, sex, occupation, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption significantly influenced the co-morbidity of these diseases. The study noted a lack of awareness about the link between diabetes and tuberculosis among 47.15% of the participants, whereas 76.15% felt more should be done to raise awareness in Nigeria. Healthcare access and quality survey showed that 75% of those with both diseases faced challenges in managing the conditions, yet 89.29% were receiving specialized medical care. Statistical analysis identified significant correlations between the co-morbidity of diabetes and tuberculosis with age (p = 0.033), sex (p = 0.019), occupation (p = 0.037), smoking (p = 0.008), and alcohol consumption (p = 0.044).

Conclusion: This study underscores the need for improved health education and preventative measures for diabetes and tuberculosis co-morbidity in Nigeria. Further studies are recommended to strengthen these findings and develop effective health intervention strategies.

Keywords: Co-Morbidity; Diabetes; Risk Factors; Tuberculosis

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