Prevalence and risk factors of tuberculosis among slum dwellers and unhoused individuals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Insights from a pilot study

Tuberculosis is reported as highly prevalent among slum dwellers and unhoused individuals worldwide. We conducted a study to estimate the prevalence of tuberculosis among slum dwellers and unhoused individuals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and identified risk factors. An interview and chest X-ray screening of 367 slum dwellers and 32 unhoused individuals was conducted with sputum GeneXpert for X-ray-positive participants. The prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis was 1,504 per 100,000 population (1,362 among slum dwellers and 3,125 among unhoused individuals), and that of interview and chest X-ray positive status was 4,511 per 100,000 population (4,087 among slum dwellers and 9,375 among unhoused individuals). The above data represent 5.4- and 4.1-fold higher prevalence, respectively, compared to the general adult population of Vietnam based on point estimates. Interview and chest X-ray positive status was significantly associated with being 60 years or older (adjusted odds ratio = 5.039, <i>p</i> = 0.005) and having a monthly income below the median (adjusted odds ratio = 4.305, <i>p</i> = 0.037). The estimated high tuberculosis prevalences among the participants call for the need for systematic screening for tuberculosis disease among these populations.