Ar. Lifson et al., Tuberculin skin testing among economically disadvantaged youth in a federally funded job training program, AM J EPIDEM, 149(7), 1999, pp. 671-679
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
Low income, medically underserved communities are at increased risk for tub
erculosis. Limited population-based national data are available about tuber
culous infection in young people from such backgrounds. To determine the pr
evalence of a positive tuberculin skin test among economically disadvantage
d youth in a federally funded job training program during 1995 and 1996, th
e authors evaluated data from medical records of 22,565 randomly selected s
tudents from over 100 job training centers throughout the United States. An
estimated 5.6% of students had a documented positive skin test or history
of active tuberculosis. Rates were highest among those who were racial/ethn
ic minorities, foreign born, and (among foreign-born students) older in age
(p < 0.001). Weighted rates (adjusting for sampling) were 1.3% for white,
2.2% for Native American, 4.0% for black, 9.6% for Hispanic, and 40.7% for
Asian/Pacific Islander students; rates were 2.4% for US-born and 32.7% for
foreign-born students. Differences by geographic region of residence were n
ot significant after adjusting for other demographic factors. Tuberculin sc
reening of socioeconomically disadvantaged youth such as evaluated in this
study provides important sentinel surveillance data concerning groups at ri
sk for tuberculous infection and allows recommended public health intervent
ions to be offered.