Determinants of Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Uptake Among Pediatric Household Contacts

Who

• Participants: 364 caregiver–child pairs who were household contacts of 114 bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB index cases.

• Children: Mean age 10 years 4 months (range 8 months–15 years 9 months), mostly normal or obese nutritional status.

• Caregivers: Mean age 36 years (range 16–72); 49.7% ≤35 years, 67.6% biological parents, 75% below regional minimum wage income, 61% with ≥high school education, 65.7% with good TB knowledge.

• Healthcare workers: 70 staff from 16 community health centers; all had good TPT knowledge and adequate facility/drug availability.

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What

• Study focus: Determining the rate of pediatric tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) administration among child household contacts in Palembang and identifying associated factors.

• Major findings:

  • Only 12 of 364 children (3.3%) received TPT.

  • Younger caregiver age (≤35 years) was significantly associated with higher likelihood of child TPT receipt (OR 11.7; aOR 12.0).

  • No significant associations were found for caregiver knowledge, education, economic status, caregiver role, or distance to health center.

  • Healthcare facility factors (knowledge, drug availability, worker profession) showed no variation and thus were not associated with TPT provision.

  • Knowledge gaps persisted: nearly half of caregivers (49.5%) answered incorrectly regarding the definition of TPT.

• Authors’ conclusion: Pediatric TPT uptake in Palembang was very low, and caregiver age was the only significant determinant of TPT administration.

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When

• Data collection: May–August 2024.

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Where

• Setting: Community health centers across Palembang, Indonesia; 16 centers involved, with highest participation from Kertapati and Sako sub-districts.

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Why

• Purpose: To determine the rate of TPT administration in children who were household contacts of pulmonary TB cases, in a context where TPT coverage was unknown and TB burden was high.

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How

• Study design: Observational study.

• Participants: Included children in household contact with bacteriologically confirmed TB cases registered for treatment; excluded children with TB/HIV, recent negative TST/IGRA, incomplete questionnaires, and parental/guardian refusal.

• Data collection: Caregiver questionnaires; healthcare worker surveys; facility assessments.

• Analysis: Bivariate and multivariate analyses of caregiver, child, household, and facility factors associated with TPT administration.

Source: Ridwan, I., Sofiah, F. and Rismarini, R., 2025. Rate of administration of tuberculosis preventive treatment to pediatric household contacts and influencing factors. Paediatrica Indonesiana, 65(5):422-430.