Tuberculous infection in a large urban population

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• Tuberculin reactions indicate tuberculous infection and correlate with disease risk.
• Data on factors influencing tuberculous infection rates (ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, sex) and urban prevalence are limited.
• Established background rates for tuberculous infection in urban populations are not confidently known.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between tuberculous infection and demographic/socioeconomic factors.
• To establish current background rates of tuberculous infection in an urban setting.
• To measure the relative effect of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, and sex on tuberculin reactor rates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from over 50,000 New York City Board of Education employees in 1973/74.
• Employed a specific index to quantify socioeconomic status for the first time.
• Measured the impact of various factors on the tuberculin reactor rate.

Main Results:

• Tuberculous infection showed a significant relationship with race or ethnic group.
• Socioeconomic status was also found to be related to tuberculous infection rates.
• Age and sex were identified as additional factors influencing tuberculous infection, in that order of importance.

Conclusions:

• Tuberculous infection prevalence in an urban population is influenced by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, and sex.
• The study provides a contemporary snapshot of tuberculous infection prevalence in New York City.
• Findings highlight the need to consider demographic and socioeconomic factors in tuberculosis control strategies.