Gender and regional disparities of tuberculosis in Hunan, China.
BACKGROUND
Major efforts have been made to improve the health care system in Hunan province, China. The aims of this study were to assess whether and to what extent these efforts have impacted on gender and regional disparities of Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in recent years, especially for less developed areas.


METHODS
We obtained data from the 2005-2009 China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP)to conduct this study in Hunan province. Counties within the province were divided into four regions according to quartiles based on the 2007 per capita GDP. Index of Disparity (ID) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were used to measure the disparities of TB incidence in relation to gender and region. Bootstrap technique was used to increase the precision.


RESULTS
The average annual incidence of TB was 111.75 per 100,000 in males and 43.44 per 100 000 in females in Hunan. The gender disparity was stable, with ID from 42.34 in 2005 to 43.92 in 2009. For regional disparity, ID, RII (mean) and RII (ratio) decreased significantly from 2005 to 2009 in males (P < 0.05) but remained stable among the female population.


CONCLUSIONS
As interventions such as introduction of the New Rural Cooperative Scheme put in place to reduce health disparities in China, regional disparity in relation to incidence of TB decreased significantly, but the gender disparity remains in the Hunan province.
Mengshi
M
Chen
Abuaku Benjamin
AB
Kwaku
Youfang
Y
Chen
Xin
X
Huang
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P, R, China. tanhz99@qq.com.
Hongzhuan
H
Tan
Shi Wu
SW
Wen
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*