| dc.description.abstract | Background: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) occurs when an individual is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis without developing symptoms or radiological evidence of active disease. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are a high-risk group due to frequent exposure to TB patients, particularly in referral hospitals with high caseloads. Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristic of LTBI among HCWs at Adam Malik Hospital, Medan Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 HCWs. LTBI was identified using the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), while chest radiography and the Rapid Molecular Test were performed to exclude active TB. Data collected included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, diabetes mellitus, duration of service, work location, daily contact hours, and mask use. Results: The prevalence of LTBI was 14%, with no active TB detected. Majority of respondents were female (68%), aged 26–35 years (63%), and obese by BMI (44%). LTBI was more common among staff with ≥10 years of service, those assigned to TB inpatient wards, those with ≥5 hours of daily contact with TB patients, and among those with consistent mask use (16.9%). Additionally, 20% of respondents had diabetes mellitus, and they showed a higher prevalence of LTBI (35%). Conclusion: LTBI prevalence among HCWs was moderate (14%) and more frequent in individuals with prolonged or longer occupational exposure, particularly those working in TB wards. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening infection control measures, and implementing routine LTBI and TB screening programs for HCWs. However, LTBI were also found to be more common among those with consistent mask use. This finding might be caused by the unmeasured confounding factors rather than mask use itself. | en_US |
