IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i3p320-d1596613.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge and Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection: A Feasibility and Pilot Study in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Cebo Magwaza

    (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag X5117, Mthatha 5099, South Africa)

  • Oluwakemi Laguda-Akingba

    (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag X5117, Mthatha 5099, South Africa
    Virology Department, National Health Laboratory Service, Port Elizabeth 6001, South Africa)

  • Teke Apalata

    (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag X5117, Mthatha 5099, South Africa)

  • Lindiwe Modest Faye

    (Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag X5117, Mthatha 5099, South Africa)

Abstract

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remains a significant global health concern, particularly in regions with high tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, such as South Africa. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of LTBI and assess patient knowledge about the condition in a primary healthcare clinic in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional design was used, and convenience sampling recruited outpatients aged 18 years and older with no prior history of TB. Blood samples were analyzed using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay to determine LTBI status, and a survey assessed patient knowledge of LTBI. Strong positive correlations were observed between what patients understand by the term LTBI and how LTBI differs from TB (0.70), what patients understand by the term LTBI and the risk factors for developing LTBI (0.70), how LTBI differs from TB and the risk factors for developing LTBI (0.78), and how LTBI differs from TB and the recommended treatments for LTBI (0.79), indicating overlap in understanding. In contrast, there were negative correlations between if patients had ever heard of latent LTBI before and their understanding of the term LTBI (−0.25), the risk factors for developing LTBI (−0.22), LTBI progressing to active TB (−0.27), and the recommended treatments for LTBI (−0.27). This divergence points to different dimensions of patient knowledge and awareness. Age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, and HIV status showed varying LTBI positivity trends. Among younger patients aged 20–29, 15.4% tested positive, while the 30–39 group showed a nearly equal split between positive (48.1%) and negative cases. A higher positivity rate was seen in females (39.1%) compared to males (31.6%). Unemployed individuals had higher positivity rates, suggesting socioeconomic factors’ influence. Comorbidities, especially hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, correlated with higher LTBI positivity among females, but this was less evident in males. HIV-positive patients had a higher LTBI-negative rate compared to HIV-negative patients. A logistic regression model (accuracy 70%) identified demographic and health factors predicting LTBI outcomes, with comorbidities, particularly hypertension and diabetes, significantly increasing the likelihood of LTBI positivity. These findings suggest that demographic and health factors, including age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, and HIV status, may predict LTBI positivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Cebo Magwaza & Oluwakemi Laguda-Akingba & Teke Apalata & Lindiwe Modest Faye, 2025. "Knowledge and Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection: A Feasibility and Pilot Study in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-26, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:320-:d:1596613
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/320/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/320/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng Chen & Tao Zhu & Zhijian Wang & Hong Peng & Wen Kong & Yang Zhou & Yan Shao & Limei Zhu & Wei Lu, 2015. "High Latent TB Infection Rate and Associated Risk Factors in the Eastern China of Low TB Incidence," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-9, October.
    2. Rodney Ehrlich & Jerry M. Spiegel & Prince Adu & Annalee Yassi, 2020. "Current Guidelines for Protecting Health Workers from Occupational Tuberculosis Are Necessary, but Not Sufficient: Towards a Comprehensive Occupational Health Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-11, June.
    3. Lönnroth, Knut & Jaramillo, Ernesto & Williams, Brian G. & Dye, Christopher & Raviglione, Mario, 2009. "Drivers of tuberculosis epidemics: The role of risk factors and social determinants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2240-2246, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huffman, Samantha A. & Veen, Jaap & Hennink, Monique M. & McFarland, Deborah A., 2012. "Exploitation, vulnerability to tuberculosis and access to treatment among Uzbek labor migrants in Kazakhstan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 864-872.
    2. Regiane Garcia & Jerry M. Spiegel & Annalee Yassi & Rodney Ehrlich & Paulo Romão & Elizabete A. Nunes & Muzimkhulu Zungu & Simphiwe Mabhele, 2020. "Preventing Occupational Tuberculosis in Health Workers: An Analysis of State Responsibilities and Worker Rights in Mozambique," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Ying Li & John Ehiri & Eyal Oren & Daiyu Hu & Xingneng Luo & Ying Liu & Daikun Li & Qingya Wang, 2014. "Are We Doing Enough to Stem the Tide of Acquired MDR-TB in Countries with High TB Burden? Results of a Mixed Method Study in Chongqing, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(2), pages 1-12, February.
    4. Samuel R. Friedman & Ashly E. Jordan & David C. Perlman & Georgios K. Nikolopoulos & Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, 2022. "Emerging Zoonotic Infections, Social Processes and Their Measurement and Enhanced Surveillance to Improve Zoonotic Epidemic Responses: A “Big Events” Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-11, January.
    5. Yuzi Zhang & Howard H. Chang & Qu Cheng & Philip A. Collender & Ting Li & Jinge He & Justin V. Remais, 2023. "A hierarchical model for analyzing multisite individual‐level disease surveillance data from multiple systems," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 79(2), pages 1507-1519, June.
    6. Rafaela M. Ribeiro & Luzia Gonçalves & Philip J. Havik & Isabel Craveiro, 2022. "Tuberculosis and Migrant Pathways in an Urban Setting: A Mixed-Method Case Study on a Treatment Centre in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-21, March.
    7. Pushpa Malla & Elisabeth Eva Kanitz & Mohammad Akhtar & Dennis Falzon & Knut Feldmann & Christian Gunneberg & Shyam Sundar Jha & Bhagwan Maharjan & Mohan Kumar Prasai & Bhabana Shrestha & Sharat Chand, 2009. "Ambulatory-Based Standardized Therapy for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis: Experience from Nepal, 2005–2006," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(12), pages 1-8, December.
    8. Anna Odone & Amelia C Crampin & Venance Mwinuka & Simon Malema & J Nimrod Mwaungulu & Lumbani Munthali & Judith R Glynn, 2013. "Association between Socioeconomic Position and Tuberculosis in a Large Population-Based Study in Rural Malawi," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(10), pages 1-1, October.
    9. Rachel M Anderson de Cuevas & Najla Al-Sonboli & Nasher Al-Aghbari & Mohammed A Yassin & Luis E Cuevas & Sally J Theobald, 2014. "Barriers to Completing TB Diagnosis in Yemen: Services Should Respond to Patients' Needs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-8, September.
    10. Ying Xiong & Meixia Yang & Zhengzhong Wang & Honglin Jiang & Ning Xu & Yixin Tong & Jiangfan Yin & Yue Chen & Qingwu Jiang & Yibiao Zhou, 2022. "Association of Daily Exposure to Air Pollutants with the Risk of Tuberculosis in Xuhui District of Shanghai, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-12, May.
    11. Nuria Martinez & Lorissa J. Smulan & Michael L. Jameson & Clare M. Smith & Kelly Cavallo & Michelle Bellerose & John Williams & Kim West & Christopher M. Sassetti & Amit Singhal & Hardy Kornfeld, 2023. "Glycerol contributes to tuberculosis susceptibility in male mice with type 2 diabetes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Elvira Maria Godinho de Seixas Maciel & Juliana de Souza Amancio & Daniel Barros de Castro & José Ueleres Braga, 2018. "Social determinants of pulmonary tuberculosis treatment non-adherence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Iñaki Comas & Sebastien Gagneux, 2009. "The Past and Future of Tuberculosis Research," PLOS Pathogens, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-7, October.
    14. Tahira Kootbodien & Samantha Iyaloo & Kerry Wilson & Nisha Naicker & Spo Kgalamono & Tanya Haman & Angela Mathee & David Rees, 2019. "Environmental Silica Dust Exposure and Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Johannesburg, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-10, May.
    15. Sweeney, Sedona & Mukora, Rachel & Candfield, Sophie & Guinness, Lorna & Grant, Alison D. & Vassall, Anna, 2018. "Measuring income for catastrophic cost estimates: Limitations and policy implications of current approaches," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 7-15.
    16. Roth, David & Otterstatter, Michael & Wong, Jason & Cook, Victoria & Johnston, James & Mak, Sunny, 2016. "Identification of spatial and cohort clustering of tuberculosis using surveillance data from British Columbia, Canada, 1990–2013," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 214-222.
    17. Yadav, Pramod Kumar & Goel, Palak, 2023. "Treatment seeking dilemma for tuberculosis as timed strategic prisoner’s dilemma game," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 632(P1).
    18. Stephen J Burke & Elliot Lass & Paul Thistle & Lovemore Katumbe & Arif Jetha & Dan Schwarz & Shelly Bolotin & R D Barker & Andrew Simor & Michael Silverman, 2014. "Increased Incidence of Tuberculosis in Zimbabwe, in Association with Food Insecurity, and Economic Collapse: An Ecological Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(2), pages 1-9, February.
    19. Rechel, Boika & Suhrcke, Marc & Tsolova, Svetla & Suk, Jonathan E. & Desai, Monica & McKee, Martin & Stuckler, David & Abubakar, Ibrahim & Hunter, Paul & Senek, Michaela & Semenza, Jan C., 2011. "Economic crisis and communicable disease control in Europe: A scoping study among national experts," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 168-175.
    20. Degeling, Chris & Carroll, Jane & Denholm, Justin & Marais, Ben & Dawson, Angus, 2020. "Ending TB in Australia: Organizational challenges for regional tuberculosis programs," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(1), pages 106-112.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:320-:d:1596613. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.