Tuberculosis among Foreign-born Persons in Singapore (2000–2009)
Author Information
Author(s): Kyi Win K.M., Chee C.B.E., Shen L., Wang Y.T., Cutter J.
Primary Institution: Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
Hypothesis
What is the proportion of foreign-born persons with tuberculosis in Singapore?
Conclusion
The proportion of foreign-born persons with tuberculosis in Singapore increased from 25.5% in 2004 to 37.6% in 2009.
Supporting Evidence
- The proportion of foreign-born TB cases increased significantly after the liberalization of immigration policies in 2005.
- Over 75% of foreign-born TB cases came from five countries with high TB incidences.
- Drug resistance was higher among foreign-born persons compared to native-born persons.
Takeaway
This study found that more foreign-born people in Singapore are getting tuberculosis, especially unskilled workers from countries with a lot of TB.
Methodology
Data on TB cases were obtained from the Singapore TB Elimination Programme Registry for the years 2000–2009.
Potential Biases
Information bias is inherent in retrospective studies.
Limitations
The study lacked data on native-born and foreign-born persons by sex and age for comparison, and there was potential information bias due to reliance on physician-reported data.
Participant Demographics
The study included 19,000 TB case-patients, with 31.3% being foreign-born, predominantly unskilled workers aged 20-39.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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