Table 1 Characteristics of tuberculosis patients in Zimbabwe

Age in years

 18 – 25

53

383

13.9% (10.5-18.2)

 26 – 44

244

383

63.8% (58.3-69.0)

 45 – 54

54

383

14.2% (10.6-18.6)

 ≥55

31

383

8.1 (5.7-11.6)

Sex

 Female

172

383

45.0% (39.5-50.6)

 Male

211

383

55.0% (49.4-60.5)

Type of diagnostic test

 Sputum microscopy

363

383

94.8% (93.0-96.2)

 Gene Xpert

20

383

5.2% (3.8-7.0)

Type of health facility

 Provincial hospital

18

383

4.7% (3.1-6.9)

 District/mission hospital

237

383

61.8% (58.5-64.9)

 Urban municipal

73

383

19.1% (16.7-21.8)

 Rural primary healthcare facility

55

383

14.5% (11.4-18.2)

Diagnosing centre

 Same as DOT facility

280

373

75.1% (71.8-78.2)

 Different from DOT facility

93

373

24.9% (21.8-28.3)

 Missing

10

383

2.6%

HIV tested

 No

6

376

1.6% (0.8-3.4)

 Yes

370

376

98.4% (96.6-99.2)

 Missing

7

383

1.9%

HIV status

 HIV-negative

140

370

37.9% (32.6-43.6)

 HIV-positive

230

370

62.1% (56.4-67.4)

HIV + ve patient on CPT/ART prior to TB treatment

 No

72

230

31.2% (25.4-37.6)

 Yes

158

230

68.8 (62.4-74.7)

Staying with anyone currently on TB treatment

 No

348

383

90.9% (86.3-95.3)

 Yes

35

383

9.1% (6.3-13.1)

Education

 More than secondary

20

382

5.3% (3.3-8.4)

 Secondary

192

382

50.3% (45.0-55.6)

 Primary

145

382

38.0% (33.1-43.1)

 No education

25

382

6.5% (4.2-9.8)

 Missing

1

383

0.4%

Employment status

 Formal employment

40

379

10.7% (8.0-14.2)

 Informal employment

105

379

27.6% (23.1-32.6)

 Unemployed

234

379

61.8% (56.7-66.6)

 Missing

4

383

1.0%

Residence

 Urban

114

378

30.1% (26.1-34.5)

 Rural

264

378

69.9% (65.6-73.9)

 Missing

5

383

1.3%

History of smoking

 Never smoked

269

380

70.7% (65.3-75.5)

 Current smoker

26

380

6.8% (4.3-10.6)

 Quit smoking

86

380

22.5% (18.3-27.4)

 Missing

3

383

0.8%

History of alcohol use

 Never

213

373

57.0% (51.4-62.4)

 Current drinker

29

373

7.7% (5.5-10.6)

 Quit alchohol use

132

373

35.3% (30.2-40.9)

 Missing

10

383

2.6%

Previous contact with TB patient

 No

210

383

54.8% (48.4-62.1)

 Yes

173

383

45.2% (39.8-50.6)

Marital status

 Married

225

380

59.3% (53.6-64.7)

 Single

67

380

17.6% (13.7-22.4)

 Divorced/separated

35

380

9.3% (6.6-12.9)

 Widowed

52

380

13.8% (10.2-18.4)

 Missing

3

383

0.8%

Took self medication from pharmacy

 No

335

383

87.5% (84.0-90.3)

 Yes

48

383

12.5% (9.7-16.0)

Took traditional medicine

 No

348

383

90.8% (87.3-93.4)

 Yes

35

383

9.2% (6.6-12.7)

Visited a private practitioner

 No

354

383

92.4% (89.4-94.7)

 Yes

29

383

7.6% (5.4-10.6)

Health care visits prior to diagnosis

 1

173

378

45.6% (40.2-51.1)

 2

121

378

31.9% (26.9-37.3)

 3

40

378

10.5% (7.6-14.4)

 ≥4

45

378

12.0% (9.1-15.7)

 Missing

5

383

1.2%

Time taken to reach health facility

 <30 minutes

150

377

39.9% (35.1-44.8)

 30mins - 1 hour

101

377

26.7% (21.9-32.0)

 >1 hour

126

377

33.5% (28.6-38.8)

 Missing

6

383

1.5%

Distance to health facility(in km)

 ≤5

122

331

36.8% (32.3-41.6)

 6 – 15

64

331

19.5% (15.4-24.3)

 16 – 30

55

331

16.5% (12.3-21.8)

 ≥30

90

331

27.2% (22.4-32.5)

Missing

52

383

13.7%

Difficulty in accessing transport to health centre

 No

322

383

84.2% (78.9-89.5)

 Yes

61

383

15.8% (12.1-20.5)

Ever heard of TB before diagnosis

 Yes

43

365

88.1% (83.6-91.5)

 No

322

365

11.9% (8.5-16.4)

 Missing

18

383

4.8%