title: [Tuberculosis among children and young adults in Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy): surveillance system and integration with socioeconomic data].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to characterise the cases of tuberculosis (TB) aged 0-24 years reported in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) Region between 2001 and 2010 through an ecological approach and from a sociodemographic perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  observational study on notified TB cases, with data integration and subsequent location through geocoding and ecological deprivation index.
  
  
  METHODS
  notification records of TB cases identified by the current surveillance system. Cases were geocoded where address details were available and, through spatial intersection with census block polygons, the related deprivation index (DI) was attributed to them.
  
  
  METHODS
  deprivation index distribution of the observed cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in the considered decade, 686 cases of tuberculosis in the age group 0-24 years were reported, 14.5% of the overall number of cases in the Emilia-Romagna Region. The DI was attributed to the 90.4% of cases. Notified TB cases were more frequently located in the most deprived areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  as other TB international surveillance systems, this study shows that it is possible to locate TB cases, to link them with census data and, therefore, to characterise with socioeconomic information. Looking ahead, the extension of the analysis to all age classes, the updating of socioeconomic data and the use of qualitative methodologies can integrate surveillance system data to better describe the social disadvantage among TB cases.
authors.affiliation: Agenzia sanitaria e sociale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna. mmorandi@regione.emilia-romagna.it.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.affiliation: Centro studi e ricerche in salute internazionale e interculturale, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Girolamo
authors.affiliation: Agenzia sanitaria e sociale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caranci
authors.affiliation: Assessorato alle politiche sanitarie, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattivi
authors.affiliation: Agenzia sanitaria e sociale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.affiliation: Assessorato alle politiche sanitarie, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna.
authors.forename: Bianca Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Borrini
authors.affiliation: Agenzia sanitaria e sociale, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult