Spatial epidemiology and spatial ecology study of worldwide drug-resistant tuberculosis
2011

Study of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and Its Risk Factors

Sample size: 126 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Liu Yunxia, Jiang Shiwen, Liu Yanxun, Wang Rui, Li Xiao, Yuan Zhongshang, Wang Lixia, Xue Fuzhong

Primary Institution: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University

Hypothesis

What are the ecological factors influencing drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) globally?

Conclusion

The study found that the influences of various risk factors on DR-TB vary significantly across different regions.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study identified six latent synthetic risk factors affecting DR-TB.
  • Humidity and temperature were found to have a negative relationship with DR-TB.
  • The GWR model showed significant spatial variability in the relationship between risk factors and DR-TB.

Takeaway

This study looked at how different things like climate and health services affect drug-resistant tuberculosis around the world. It found that these effects change depending on where you are.

Methodology

The study used data from WHO on drug resistance and ecological factors, applying partial least square path modeling and geographically weighted regression to analyze the relationships.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the ecological nature of the study and data collection methods.

Limitations

The study may be limited by ecological fallacy and the inability to control for all potential confounding factors.

Participant Demographics

Data was collected from 126 regions worldwide, covering various countries and health systems.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.0001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1476-072X-10-50

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