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. 2011 Mar;15(3):331-6.

Predictive factors for latent tuberculosis infection among adolescents in a high-burden area in South Africa

H Mahomed  1 , T Hawkridge, S Verver, L Geiter, M Hatherill, D-A Abrahams, R Ehrlich, W A Hanekom, G D Hussey; SATVI Adolescent Study Team
Affiliations
  • PMID: 21333099

Predictive factors for latent tuberculosis infection among adolescents in a high-burden area in South Africa

H Mahomed et al. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

Setting: A high tuberculosis (TB) burden area in South Africa (notification rate for all TB cases 1400 per 100 000 population).

Objective: To determine the prevalence of and predictive factors associated with latent TB infection in adolescents.

Design: Adolescents aged 12-18 years were recruited from high schools, clinical and demographic data were collected, and a tuberculin skin test (TST) and a QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) assay performed.

Results: A total of 6363 (58.2%) of 10 942 adolescents at the schools were enrolled. After exclusions, of 5244 participants, 55.2% (95%CI 53.8-56.5) had TST ≥ 5 mm, while 50.9% (49.5-52.2) were QFT-positive. On multivariate analysis, Black/mixed race racial groups, male sex, older age, household TB contact, low income and low education level were predictive factors for both TST- and QFT-positive results.

Conclusion: About half of the adolescents were found to be latently infected with TB in a high TB burden area with demographic and poverty-related socio-economic factors predicting the risk of TB infection. Adolescents from deprived communities should be considered an important target group for educational interventions by TB control programmes in high-burden settings.

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