Presence and awareness of infectious disease among Chinese migrant workers.
This cross-sectional study set out to identify the health status and health beliefs and behaviors with regard to TB and HIV-AIDS among 407 rural male migrant workers in China. Surveyed workers' awareness level for AIDS transmission was 67.7% and for TB transmission 56.8%. These workers had high rates of acute illness in the previous month (depression 18.3%, physical injury 16.3%, dermatological ailment 9.6%, respiratory infection 9.4%). One or more of the four symptoms of TB were found in 22.3% of the workers. Prevalent TB symptoms were associated with previously having had TB (chi-square = 69.98, p = .000) and having previously lived with a TB patient (F = 13.99, p = .000). The relative risk for having had TB if the worker had lived with someone with TB was 5.69 (chi-square 7.65, p = .006). Screening for TB symptoms, a history of having lived with someone with TB, or having previously had TB, has the potential to serve as a cost-effective and easy first-line TB screening among large mobile populations.
Strand
Mark
M
North Dakota State University, ND, USA. MarkStrand3@aol.com
Xiaobing
Wang
W
Xiaoqin
Duan
D
Lee
Kristin
K
Wang
Alex
A
Yanqing
Li
L
Jinxi
Ni
N
Guangming
Cheng
C
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000635:transmission; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission