TY - JOUR
T1 - Unusual sex differences in tuberculosis notifications across Pakistan and the role of environmental factors
AU - Khan, M. S.
AU - Khan, M. S.
AU - Hasan, R.
AU - Godfrey-Faussett, P.
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - In developing countries, only one-third of new tuberculosis cases notified are from women. It is not clear whether tuberculosis incidence is lower in women than men, or whether notification figures reflect under-detection of tuberculosis in women. Pakistan, however, presents an unusual pattern of sex differences in tuberculosis notifications. While 2 of the 4 provinces (Sindh and Punjab) report more notifications from men (female to male ratios 0.81 and 0.89 respectively in 2009), the other 2 provinces (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan) consistently report higher numbers of smear-positive tuberculosis notifications from women than men (1.37 and 1.40). No other country is known to have such a large variation in the sex ratios of notifications across regions. Large variations in female to male smear-positive notification ratios in different settings across a single country may indicate that environmental factors, rather than endogenous biological factors, are important in influencing the observed sex differences in tuberculosis notifications.
AB - In developing countries, only one-third of new tuberculosis cases notified are from women. It is not clear whether tuberculosis incidence is lower in women than men, or whether notification figures reflect under-detection of tuberculosis in women. Pakistan, however, presents an unusual pattern of sex differences in tuberculosis notifications. While 2 of the 4 provinces (Sindh and Punjab) report more notifications from men (female to male ratios 0.81 and 0.89 respectively in 2009), the other 2 provinces (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan) consistently report higher numbers of smear-positive tuberculosis notifications from women than men (1.37 and 1.40). No other country is known to have such a large variation in the sex ratios of notifications across regions. Large variations in female to male smear-positive notification ratios in different settings across a single country may indicate that environmental factors, rather than endogenous biological factors, are important in influencing the observed sex differences in tuberculosis notifications.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84946163899&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.26719/2013.19.9.821
DO - 10.26719/2013.19.9.821
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84946163899
SN - 1020-3397
VL - 19
SP - 821
EP - 825
JO - Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
JF - Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
IS - 9
ER -