Background: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health problem. This study aimed to investigate probable risk factors for developing MDR in the patients treated for TB at Tuberculosis Control Dispensaries (TCD).
Matreial/Method: The records of 34 patients with MDR-TB and 70 patients with TB sensitive to all first-line drugs (DS), who were treated at TCD between January 2002 and December 2008, were reviewed retrospectively in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Results: The mean age was 34.47±16.99 (32.35±14.21 in MDR group and 35.50±18.19 in control group) with the range from 2 to 76 years. Of the patients, 63 were male and 41 were female.
When risk factors for MDR were evaluated with univariate analysis methods, low socio-economic status, the presence of accompanying disease, previous TB history, previously administered TB treatment, inappropriate TB treatment, and noncompliance with TB treatment were all found to be significant risk factors. When these risk factors were analyzed with logistic regression analysis, regardless of other risk factors, MDR risk was significantly increased with previous TB history by 22.31, with previously taking TB medication by 13.19, and with low socio-economic status by 6.03.
Conclusions: Socio-economic factors also play an important role in this issue. To minimize the effect of patients’ risk factors, health workers should be able to reach all patients, and therapies must be given under direct observation.

Keywords: Risk Factors, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Child, Preschool, Child, Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use, Adolescent, Social Class, Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - epidemiology, Turkey