Abstract: Objective: To analyze the delayed detection of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Chongqing from 2015 to 2021 and the influencing factors, to provide scientific basis for reducing detection delay of PTB. Methods: Relevant informations of 174067 pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Chongqing from 2015 to 2021 were collected from the subsystem “Infectious Disease Reporting Information Management System” of the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention, including report time, demographic characteristics (gender, age, occupation), region, origin, diagnosis, date of onset, and date of diagnosis. The Joinpoint regression model was used to describe the change of detection delay rate from 2015 to 2021, the influencing factors of the detection delay were analyzed using logistic regression model. Results: From 2015 to 2021, the median and quartile of detection delay were 31 (10,73) d, with the average annual delay rate of 53.25% (92695/174067); the detection delay rate decreased from 58.20% (15093/25935) in 2015 to 50.18% (11026/21974) in 2021. From 2015 to 2021, detection delay rate showed a decreasing trend (AAPC=-2.5%, t=-2.095, P=0.036); from 2015 to 2019, a statistically significant decrease in delay rate was observed (APC=-4.1%, t=-4.313, P=0.049); while from 2019 to 2021, no statistically significant change in delay rate was found (APC=0.8%, t=0.248, P=0.827). The results of multivariate analysis showed that female (OR=1.036, 95%CI: 1.015-1.059), aged 45-64 years (OR=1.095, 95%CI: 1.065-1.125), unemployed or retired (OR=1.233, 95%CI: 1.177-1.294), farmers or herdsmen or fishermen or migrant worker (OR=1.624, 95%CI: 1.546-1.710), preschool (OR=3.581, 95%CI: 2.271-5.761), workers (OR=1.134, 95%CI: 1.062-1.213), lived in northeast region of Chongqing (OR=1.270, 95%CI: 1.244-1.312), being outside the urban area of Chongqing (OR=1.136, 95%CI: 1.087-1.187), and pathogenic positivity (OR=1.033, 95%CI: 1.013-1.055) were common risk factors for detection delay of PTB. Conclusion: The rate of detection delay of PTB in Chongqing is relatively serious, but the overall trend was decreasing with the time. More attention and comprehensive measures should be paid to key areas and populations.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Factor analysis, Chongqing