Tuberculosis and poverty

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether the historical link between tuberculosis and poverty still exists.

Design: Retrospective study examining the notifications of all forms of tuberculosis by council ward over a six year period and correlating this with four indices of poverty; council housing, free school meals, the Townsend overall deprivation index, and the Jarman index.

Setting: The 33 electoral wards of the city of Liverpool.

Subjects: 344 residents of Liverpool with tuberculosis.

Results: The rate of tuberculosis was correlated with all measures of poverty, the strongest correlation being with the Jarman index (r = 0.73, p < 0.0001). This link was independent of the high rates of tuberculosis seen in ethnic minorities.

Conclusion: Tuberculosis remains strongly associated with poverty.