Demographic and tuberculosis (TB)-related characteristics of the elderly patients with TB at baseline (n=183)
| Variable | Intervention group (n=61) | Control group (n=122) | P value |
| Male, n (%) | 34 (55.7) | 75 (61.4) | 0.379 |
| Age, mean (SD) | 71.77 (5.49) | 71.88 (5.38) | 0.897 |
| TB initial treatment stage, n (%) | 48 (78.6) | 106 (65.8) | 0.152 |
| TB intensive management, n (%) | 15 (24.6) | 36 (31.2) | 0.356 |
| Education level, n (%) | 0.699 | ||
| Primary school | 9 (14.7) | 17 (13.9) | |
| Junior middle school | 28 (45.9) | 46 (37.7) | |
| Senior high school | 16 (26.2) | 39 (32.0) | |
| College or above | 8 (13.1) | 20 (16.4) | |
| Occupation before diagnosed, n (%) | 0.976 | ||
| Merchant | 8 (13.1) | 15 (12.2) | |
| Factory workers | 38 (62.2) | 74 (60.6) | |
| Civil servant | 7 (11.4) | 14 (11.6) | |
| Farmer | 8 (13.1) | 19 (15.6) | |
| TB knowledge*, n (%) | 17 (27.8) | 37 (30.3) | 0.731 |
| Chronic comorbidity†, n (%) | 26 (42.6) | 55 (45.0) | 0.752 |
*The total awareness rate of the five key messages about TB prevention and treatment proposed in Guidelines for implementation of tuberculosis control program in China (2008 edition).
†Other common chronic diseases coexisting with TB, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, coronary heart disease, tumour, arthritis, and so on.