Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes among Migrants with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Japan, 2009–2018

Sangnim Lee (), Myo Nyein Aung (), Lisa Kawatsu, Kazuhiro Uchimura, Reiko Miyahara, Jin Takasaki, Akihiro Ohkado and Motoyuki Yuasa
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Sangnim Lee: Department of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
Myo Nyein Aung: Department of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
Lisa Kawatsu: Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo 204-8533, Japan
Kazuhiro Uchimura: Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo 204-8533, Japan
Reiko Miyahara: Center for Surveillance, Immunization, and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Jin Takasaki: Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan
Akihiro Ohkado: Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo 204-8533, Japan
Motoyuki Yuasa: Department of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: This study aimed to describe characteristics and treatment outcomes of overseas-born pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Japan, and identify the factors associated with “treatment non-success”. We conducted a retrospective analysis of overseas-born patients with drug-susceptible PTB using cohort data of PTB cases newly registered in the Japan tuberculosis (TB) surveillance system between 2009 and 2018. Overall, 9151 overseas-born PTB cases were included in this study, and 70.3% were aged 34 years old or younger. “Students of high school and higher” (28.6%) and “regular workers other than service related sectors” (28.5%) accounted for over half of the study population, and they have continued to increase. Overall, the treatment success rate was 67.1%. Transferred-out constituted the largest proportion (14.8%) among the treatment non-success rate (32.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed patients whose health insurance type was “others and unknown”, including the uninsured (adjusted OR (AOR) = 3.43: 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) 2.57–4.58), those diagnosed as TB within “one year” (AOR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.97–3.46) and “1–5 years” (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.88–3.17) of arrival in Japan, and males (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.16–1.54), which were the main factors associated with treatment non-success. These findings imply that Japan needs to develop TB control activities considering the increasing trends of overseas-born PTB patients, the majority of whom are young and highly mobile. There is a need to pay greater attention to overseas-born PTB patients diagnosed within a short duration after entering Japan, who may be socially and economically disadvantaged for their treatment completion.

Keywords: migrant; overseas-born; foreign-born; tuberculosis; treatment outcome; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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