Prevalence and patterns of cigarette smoking among patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis in Tanzania

- The level of current cigarette smoking among HIV infected people receiving PTB treatment in Dar es Salaam was low.
- There was a preponderance of cigarette smoking among men, alcohol drinkers, and people who use illicit substances.

IntroductionCigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors for non-AIDS related morbidities and is highly prevalent among HIV infected people. However, no reports exist from Tanzania, one of the countries highly affected by the HIV pandemic and one of Africa's biggest tobacco producer.MethodsWe examined the patterns and prevalence of cigarette smoking among HIV and TB co-infected adult patients in Dar es Salaam using a cross sectional study design. Proportions were used to describe the pattern of cigarette smoking. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of various participant characteristics with smoking.ResultsOut of the 518 participants, 17 (3.3%) were current smokers, 96 (18.5%) were ex-smokers and the rest (78.2%) denied ever smoking. Male sex (p < 0.001), alcohol (p < 0.001), and illicit substance use (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with cigarette smoking.ConclusionsThe study indicates that, the level of current cigarette smoking among HIV/TB co-infected patients in Dar es Salaam is low. Nevertheless, the preponderance of cigarette smoking among men, alcohol drinkers, and those who use illicit substances provides a unique opportunity for targeting such population with smoking cessation interventions; HIV care and treatment clinics are uniquely positioned to provide such interventions.