A systematic review of tuberculosis detection and prevention studies in prisons

Many studies have demonstrated that prisons are hotspots of tuberculosis disease and transmission. Despite this, it remains unclear which interventions are most effective at controlling tuberculosis in prisons. The objective was to determine the study designs used to investigate tuberculosis control in prisons, and the efficacy of interventions undertaken. This systematic review included published studies which had the aim of reducing TB incidence or prevalence, or increasing the number of people screened for active pulmonary tuberculosis in incarcerated populations. 2,429 records were identified, 178 full-text articles were screened, and 17 studies included. The majority of reports were before/after or prospective non-comparative studies. The median study duration was 23 months (range 5-144). The most common intervention was the introduction of active case finding (10/17 studies) but the timing and methods varied. Comparable pre- and post intervention outcome values were infrequently reported; therefore, it was not possible to quantify the efficacy of interventions. Data from studies of tuberculosis control in prisons is limited by a lack of: controlled interventions, reporting of pre-intervention methods, and comparable pre- and post-intervention outcomes. Prospective comparative trials of adequate duration to determine trends in incidence are necessary to understand which interventions are effective in prisons.