Prevalence and risk factors of drug-resistant tuberculosis along the Mexico-Texas border.

Objectives: This study determined factors associated with drug resistance among 3496 patients with tuberculosis who resided in Texas counties along the Mexican border.
Methods: Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with drug resistance.
Results: Among patients with a history of previous tuberculosis, being 19 years or younger was the only factor associated with multiple drug resistance. Female sex, being 20 to 39 years of age, and foreign birth were risk factors for resistance among patients with no history of previous tuberculosis.
Conclusions: Factors contributing to drug resistance among Hispanic tuberculosis patients along the Texas-Mexico border may differ from those among other populations in the United States.