Epidemiological Characteristics and Delay of Medical Treatment in Elderly with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Anxi Coun-ty from 2018 to 2024

Chen Weizheng; Li Yanlu; Liao Weican

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-568X.2025.12.0013

Abstract：OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and treatment delay of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis pa-tients in Anxi County,providing a basis for optimizing tuberculosis control measures among the elderly.METHODS Data on elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged 60 and above registered from 2018 to 2024 were collected from the Tuberculosis Information Management System under the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System,with retrospective descriptive epidemio-logical approach and statistical analysis which was conducted using SPSS 24.0 software.RESULTS The average annual registration rate of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Anxi County from 2018 to 2024 was 108.74/105,showing a declining trend(x2=9.232,P＜0.01).Elderly patients accounted for an average of 41.20％(1 286/3 121)of all patients,with an increasing trend(x2=16.162,P＜0.01).The average annual registration rate for elderly male patients was significantly higher than that for females(x2=565.131,P＜0.01),while there were no statistically significant differences between the 60～70,70～80,and＞80 age groups(x2=0.066,P＞0.05).90％(1 162/1 286)of elderly patients were farmers.6 towns(Chengxiang,Guanqiao,Fengcheng,Longmen,Penglai,and Huqiu)accounted for 57.78％(743/1 286)of the elderly patients,with relatively high average registration rates.The overall rate of delayed treatment among elderly patients was 58.71％(755/1 286),showing an upward trend(x2=51.278,P＜0.01).CONCLU-SION Although the average annual registration rate of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Anxi County from 2018 to 2024 has been decreasing,it remains at a high level.Elderly individuals remain a key focus group for future tuberculosis control efforts in Anxi County.It is crucial to enhance the dissemination of tuberculosis prevention knowledge among the elderly and proactively con-duct annual screening for tuberculosis among them.