© 2003 American Public Health Association
The authors are with the New Jersey Medical School National Tuberculosis Center, Newark. Amy L. Davidow and Lee B. Reichman are also with the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Medicine and DentistryNew Jersey Medical School. Bonita T. Mangura, Eileen C. Napolitano, and Lee B. Reichman are also with the Department of MedicineNew Jersey Medical School. Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Amy L. Davidow, PhD, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, Medical Science Bldg, F596-A, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103 (e-mail: davidoal{at}umdnj.edu).
Objectives. This study investigated the socioeconomic profile of foreign-born tuberculosis patients in New Jersey. Methods. Foreign- and US-born tuberculosis patients in 19941999 were compared using various measures of socioeconomic status. Results. Out of 4295 tuberculosis patients, 2005 (47%) were foreign-born. Foreign-born patients resided in more affluent, more educated, and less crowded areas than did US-born patients (P < .005). They were also more likely to have been employed during the 2 years before diagnosis (62% vs 41%, P < .001). Private physicians treated the majority of South Asianborn patients. Conclusions. Substantial numbers of employed foreign-born tuberculosis patients now reside in affluent New Jersey locations. Changes in tuberculosis control programs may be required when the socioeconomic status and place of residence of foreign-born populations diverge from traditional assumptions linking poverty with tuberculosis. This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||