Can Social Interventions Prevent Tuberculosis?

Abstract Associations have been drawn between social factors such as adequate nutrition and the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) disease progression. The original Papworth experiment analyzed the incidence rates of TB infection, disease, and death in 315 children living in the Papworth Village Settlement during 1918–1935. The Village provided various social interventions such as stable employment, housing, medical supervision, and nutrition during the pre-chemotherapy and pre-Bacillus Clamette Guerin (BCG) era. This study reanalyzed data from the Papworth experiment and shows the importance of social factors, such as housing, nutrition, and access to medical care, in decreasing TB disease and death rates in close contact with household members.