Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Joseph Robare

Abstract

After HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest single infectious agent worldwide; globally in 2013, 1.5 million people died of the disease. Although TB infection rates in the United States are low compared to that of other countries, TB still remains a threat to public health in the U.S., especially among immigrant populations. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between the independent variables of immigration status, years of residence, and race/ethnicity and the dependent variable of TB infection within South Carolina between 2006 and 2012. To examine these possible relationships, this quantitative study employed the ecological perspective theory and used secondary data from the Center for Disease Control's Online Tuberculosis Information System. The data were analyzed via linear regression and the findings indicated that the most statistically significant predictors of TB infection rates among the study population were immigration status and race/ethnicity. By analyzing the relationships between the study variables and population through relevant data analysis, this study provides public health professionals with additional resources to assist in designing effective TB interventions that have the highest likelihood of stemming the spread of TB. These factors also have the potential to illicit positive social change, not only within South Carolina but also on the national level by decreasing the incidence and prevalence of TB and allowing for the best use of resources to targeted populations most at risk for the disease. 

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