Pulmonary tuberculosis among prisoners in Southern Thailand: prevalence and its association with imprisonment status

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-01-2021-0012
• Published date: 16 August 2021
• Date: 16 August 2021
• Pages: 233-244
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Prisoner health,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice
• Author: Bintinee Bilmumad,Tippawan Liabsuetrakul,Nipa Ngamtrairai,Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong

Pulmonary tuberculosis among prisoners

in Southern Thailand: prevalence and its

association with imprisonment status

Bintinee Bilmumad, Tippawan Liabsuetrakul, Nipa Ngamtrairai and

Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong

Abstract

Purpose –This study aims to measure the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB), its association

with imprisonment status and to document the treatment success rate (TSR) among prisoners in

Songkhlaprovince, Southern Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach –A retrospective cross-sectional study was conductedin five prisons

in Songkhla province, including all prisoners in the fiscal of year 2019, who had an annual chest

radiography (CXR) screening result. Information of prisoners who had been imprisoned from1 October

2018 to 30 September2019, were reviewed for PTB diagnosis. Imprisonmentstatus and other associated

factorswith PTB were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.

Findings –Theprevalence of PTB was 2.72%. Prisoners having new or transfer-in status were more

likely to have PTB. Those aged 40–80 years, who had smoked for ten years or more, or who were

underweight, had higher odds of having PTB. TSR among p risoners with PTB in this study was

94.9%.

Originality/value –The prevalence of PTB among prisoners having annual CXR screening was high.

Detection of PTB was higher among new or transfer-in prisoners; therefore, the CXR for PTB screening

beforeadmission to prison should be performed to prevent transmissionto other prisoners.

Keywords Pulmonary tuberculosis, Prisoner, Imprisonment status, Chest radiography screening,

Treatment success rate, Thailand

Paper type Research paper

Background

Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of mortality (World Health

Organization, 2019). A systematic review reported higher incidence of TB in prisoners

than in the general population (Baussano et al., 2010), and global mapping showed the

prevalence in Asia Pacific as 1,173 per 100,000 prisoners (Dolan et al., 2016). The

prevalence of PTB among prisoners and their treatment outcomes vary, which may be

because of different associated factors in individual prisoners, different prison

environments and PTB screening method s (Al-Darraji et al., 2016;Jittimanee et al.,

2007;Morasert et al., 2018;Morishita et al.,2017). In South-East Asia, studies

assessing the prevalence of PTB among prisoners in Malaysia and the Philippines,

using a cross-sectional design, have reported rates of 6,082 and 6,163 cases per

100,000 prisoners, respectively (Al-Darraji et al., 2016;Morishita et al., 2017).

Screening using CXR among prisoners has been found more reliable in the detection of

PTB than the use of a signs and symptoms assessment questionnaire alone (Al-Darraji

et al., 2016;Jittimanee et al., 2007;Morasert et al., 2018;Morishita et al., 2017;

Sanchez et al., 2005).

Bintinee Bilmumad is based

at Epidemiology Unit,

Faculty of Medicine, Prince

of Songkla University,

Songkhla, Thailand, and

Songkhla Correctional

Institution for Drug Addicts,

Department of Corrections

Thailand, Mueang,

Thailand. Tippawan

Liabsuetrakul is based at

Epidemiology Unit, Faculty

of Medicine, Prince of

Songkla University,

Songkhla, Thailand.

Nipa Ngamtrairai is based

at Songkhla Central Prison,

Department of Corrections

Thailand, Mueang,

Thailand.

Virasakdi

Chongsuvivatwong is

based at Epidemiology

Unit, Faculty of Medicine,

Prince of Songkla

University, Songkhla,

Thailand.

Received 25 January 2021

Revised 1 April 2021

2 June 2021

25 June 2021

Accepted 29 June 2021

DOI 10.1108/IJPH-01-2021-0012 VOL. 18 NO. 3 2022, pp. 233-244, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1744-9200 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRISONER HEALTH jPAGE 233