Co-occurrence of tuberculosis and Diabetic Mellitus and the associated risk factors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To estimate the pooled prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) co-occurrences and associated factors in Ethiopia. Methods A total of 392 articles were identified, and 14 were included in the analysis. The study's quality was assessed using the JBI tool. Data were analyzed using STATA version 16. We estimated the pooled prevalence of TB among DM patients with 95%CI and vice versa. Besides, we estimated the pooled OR for each risk factor. The studys’ heterogeneity was assessed using forest plot and I2 heterogeneity test. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Egger's regression test. Results The pooled prevalence of TB among DM patients was 4.14% (95%CI; 2.45%, 5.83%). The pooled prevalence of DM among TB patients was 12.77% (95%CI; 6.91%, 18.62%). Type 1 DM patients had higher TB risk (OR; 2.70, 95%CI; 1.41, 3.99). Older age (OR; 2.25, 95%CI; 1.38, 3.13) and family DM history (OR; 3.65, 95%CI; 1.89, 5.41) were associated with DM co-occurrence among TB patients. Conclusions Higher prevalence of TB among DM patients and vice versa is noted in Ethiopia compared to the general population. Thus, active screening of DM patients for TB and vice versa is recommended.