Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health challenge that affects both developed and developing countries being the world’s among worst killer diseases. The relationship between the socioeconomic status and the prevalence of tuberculosis in Sokoto metropolis was investigated. The Health Related Hardness Model (HHM) was used wherein the researcher viewed tuberculosis patients as those people having a low socio-economic status. The primary data were collected using questionnaires while the secondary data was obtained from unpublished, published, and information obtainable from the internet on the issues of tuberculosis. Both systematic (the researcher used 10 as sampling interval of 956 per 96, approximately 96 sample size was used) and purposeful sampling techniques (only those patients present at the time of sampling were administered questionnaire) for this study. The results showed that high prevalence of TB was found among males (67.7%), age group of 30 – 45 years (36.5%), the married (62.5%), non-formal education (45.8%),businesspersons (38.5%), earn less than N10, 000 (62.5%) monthly, more than one persons in a room (41.7%), TB history (79.2%) and unawareness of TB patients (84.4%). Therefore, poverty is a main driving force in TB infection as attested by the correlation between socio-economic status of the population and TB incidence in Sokoto Metropolis. Thus, TB is more prevalent among the urban poor in Sokoto Metropolis. Hence, more treatment centres should be established by the Government, NGOs, or Philanthropists for easy access by the people.