FRIDAY, April 25, 2003 (HealthDayNews) --
White people and women are more likely to experience delays in being diagnosed with tuberculosis, says a study in this week's issue of the British Medical Journal.
British researchers analyzed surveillance data and a national survey to estimate delays in tuberculosis diagnosis for people in London from 1998 to 2000.
The study found a median delay of 49 days for all people. However, women and white people were more likely to experience a longer time between the onset of symptoms and a diagnosis of tuberculosis. The authors suggest this may be because tuberculosis may be suspected and investigated more aggressively among men, blacks or Asians.
The authors note that recent public health campaigns have tried to increase awareness of tuberculosis, particularly among ethnic minority groups. They say their findings indicate those campaigns also need to be targeted at white people, who account for one-third of tuberculosis cases.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about tuberculosis.
