title: Prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and associated risk factors in Eastern Ethiopian prisons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and associated risk factors among inmates in three major prison settings of Eastern Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July and November, 2008, 371 prisoners with a history of cough of ≥ 2 weeks were screened for PTB using direct smear microscopy and culture. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 371 PTB suspects identified by active screening, 33 (8.9%) were confirmed as smear- or culture-positive PTB. Together with the 11 PTB patients already on treatment, the point prevalence of PTB was 1913 per 100,000 (95%CI 1410-2580), about seven times higher than that of the general population. Eleven newly diagnosed PTB patients were sharing a cell with known TB patients. Factors significantly associated with PTB were young age (15-44 years of age) (OR 3.73), urban residence (OR 3.59), having a cough >4 weeks (OR 3.15), and sharing a cell with a TB patient (OR 3.39) or a prisoner with chronic cough (OR 4.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study documented a high prevalence of PTB among Ethiopian prisoners. Socio-demographic and TB management factors were identified to be underlying causes of the high transmission rate and the acquisition of new cases. Active surveillance of TB and implementing prevention and control guidelines are imperative.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. shawelus@yahoo.com
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bjune
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ameni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biffa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abebe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult