Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection [LTBI] in Prison Officers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the LTBI prevalence in prison officers worldwide. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, WoS, Embase, and BVS, including all articles related to LTBI prevalence and risk factors. After critical evaluation and qualitative synthesis of the identified articles, a meta-analysis was used. Five studies carried out between 2012 and 2022 were included, with a total sample size of 1718 prison officers. The overall LTBI prevalence was 50% [95% confidence interval [CI]: 48% - 52%; n = 816], with high heterogeneity between studies. Smoking [OR = 1.76; CI 95% = 1.26 - 2.46] and males [OR = 2.08; CI 95% = 1.31 - 3.31] were positively related to a higher LTBI prevalence among prison officers. Thus, preventive measures and the rapid and accurate diagnosis of new cases should be emphasized to ensure tuberculosis control, especially among risk groups such as prison officers.