The Association of Latent Tuberculosis Infection with Air Pollutant Exposure, Meteorological and Other Factors: A Retrospective Study in Eastern China of College Students.

OBJECTIVE

The associations between meteorological factors, air pollutant indicators, and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) have not yet been confirmed. This study aimed to assess the association of meteorological factors, air pollutant indicators, and other factors with LTBI among college students.

METHODS

We selected 5,193 freshmen randomly who originated from key tuberculosis areas in nine colleges in Nanjing. We ranked the importance of independent variables using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and random forest models. We then conducted a multi-model analysis after incorporating them into the prediction model. In addition, we adopted a calibration curve to determine the quality of the model. A nomogram was used to evaluate the possibility of using multiple models to predict LTBI risk.

RESULTS

We found that higher outdoor PM concentrations (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.10-1.65) was associated with LTBI. A history of allergies (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.16-1.62) and coal-based fuels (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.11-1.87) had a positive correlation with the occurrence of LTBI. Taking vitamin D supplements (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.69-0.98) could reduce the risk of LTBI. Besides, age (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.00-1.22) were significantly associated with strong positive populations.

CONCLUSION

Higher outdoor PM concentration, history of allergies, and use of coal-based fuels were positively correlated with the occurrence of LTBI. Vitamin D supplementation might reduce the risk of LTBI. Besides, older people were more likely to contribute to strong positive results.