What questions should be asked to assess risk factors for TB?

• A. Living conditions, health insurance status, medication affordability, and drug use.
• B. Favorite foods.
• C. Hair color.
• D. Shoe size.

Answer: (A)

Assessing TB risk focuses on social factors and exposure patterns that influence both the chance of infection and the likelihood of progression to disease. Asking about living conditions helps identify crowded, poorly ventilated environments where transmission is more likely. Questions about access to care, including health insurance status and the ability to afford medications, reveal barriers to timely testing, proper treatment initiation, and completion—factors that affect both the spread of TB and the risk of developing active disease. Substance use can signal unstable housing or comorbid conditions that increase vulnerability to TB and hinder adherence to therapy. In contrast, unrelated details like favorite foods, hair color, or shoe size don’t affect TB risk and wouldn’t guide risk assessment.