A new perspective on the rise of tuberculosis cases: Communal living

Abstract

Background: Forced migration caused by wars causes health parameters to regress including tuberculosis. Wars are obstacles that stand in our way to eradicate tuberculosis and they are the reason why it has been such a threat to human life. To determine the relationship between living area and family type and the number of contacts among refugees and Turkish citizens who have been diagnosed with tuberculosis.Method: This research has been conducted with 194 patients with tuberculosis who admitted to The Faculty of Medicine, Harran University between the years of 2012-2019. The number of contacted people has been provided with the patients' folders. Reaching their homes, the patients' family types and living areas have been recorded among the volunteer attenders.Result: 98 (%50,5) percent of the members of the study group are refugees, the number of the contacts, among screened refugees, is 549 while the size of the living area is 7740m2. 96 (%49,5) percent of the members of the study group are citizens of the Turkish Republic(TR), the number of the contacs, among screened TR citizens, is 487, while the size of the living space is 11370 m2. 57 percent (%58,2) of the refugee families were found in communal living style while 47 (%49,0) percent of TR citizens were found living in a nuclear family system. It has been found that the statistical significance between the living area and the family type is caused by the difference between the nuclear family system and the communal living style. The average living space of TR citizens is meaningfully higher than the average living area of the refugees.Conclusion: It has been found that tuberculosis infects more people in war-related life conditions and this is caused by people -who are not blood-related-living together, communal living in other words. This is new information for the literature. The exposed number being higher in refugees than TR citizens proves that the refugees living out of camp are present in communal living spaces more often. The obstacles to reaching health services for refugees living out of camp should be examined.It has been found that tuberculosis infects more people in war-related life conditions and this is caused by people -who are not blood-related-living together, communal living in other words. This is new information for the literature. The exposed number being higher in refugees than TR citizens proves that the refugees living out of camp are present in communal living spaces more often. The obstacles to reaching health services for refugees living out of camp should be examined. DeclarationsEthics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable Consent for publication: Not applicable