Cigarette Smoking: A contributory factor for pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Pakistan is ranked 5th among high-burden countries worldwide. Among contributory factors, cigarette smoking is associated with negative prognosis of pulmonary TB. Aim: To determine the active cigarette smoking as a contributory factor for pulmonary TB. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Mayo Hospital, Lahore from July to October 2018. The study participants were 65 confirmed cases of pulmonary TB (diagnosed by Gene Xpert) having age >15 years, and of both the genders. The questionnaire addressed age, gender, educational and socioeconomic status, contact with active case of TB and history of active cigarette smoking (at least 1 cigarette a day). Data were entered in SPSS 20 and was presented as frequency tables. Chi square was applied. Results: Among 65, 20(30.8%) were active cigarette smoker. This active cigarette smoking was statistically significant contributor for TB with increasing age (p value 0.033), male gender (p value 0.000) and lower socioeconomic status (p value 0.048). Conclusion: Active cigarette smoking is a significant contributory factor for development of pulmonary TB.