Screening and intervention of diabetes mellitus in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in poverty zones in China: Rationale and study design

BackgroundThe merging epidemics of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) have been raised concerns by many experts but no large scale screening and intervention have been launched yet, especially in low-income areas. The current study aims to understand the prevalence of DM in active PTB patients and evaluate the outcomes of diet and living habit intervention in poverty zones in China.Methods/designA cross-sectional investigation and intervention study will be carried out. At least 7000 active PTB patients will be recruited, together with 7000 nonTB persons from the same community. The project will be divided into two stages. The first stage is to train TB workers on DM screening and regular treatment. Screening and related investigation will be carried out afterwards. The second stage is focussed on intervention. A comprehensive strategy will be utilized to conduct health promotion among the patients, the health providers and the lay public.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first and largest study which focuses on the prevalence of DM in PTB in China. We hypothesize that the current prevalence of DM in PTB in China will be understood and the results of our study will provide important evidence for preventing and controlling DM and PTB.