Abstract:

Objective: To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and the willingness to accept tuberculosis preventive treatment among Chinese students through a meta-analysis. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in databases including CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, with the search period spanning from the inception of each database to April 23, 2025. The literature consisted of publicly published Chinese and English articles. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data from the included studies, and assessed the quality of the literature. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 software. Results: A total of 44 Chinese and English articles were included. The pooled prevalence of LTBI among Chinese students was 6.7% (95%CI: 5.9%-7.5%), and the acceptance rate for TPT was 41.5% (95%CI: 27.0%-56.0%). Subgroup analyses revealed lower latent tuberculosis infection rates in the following groups: tuberculin skin test (6.3% (95%CI: 5.4%-7.1%)), North China region (3.6% (95%CI: 1.7%-5.4%)), primary school students (3.2% (95%CI:1.9%-4.5%)), studies with a sample size of ≥10000 (4.5% (95%CI: 3.4%-5.5%)), studies conducted before 2017 (6.0% (95%CI: 4.9%-7.1%)), and non-close contacts (6.1% (95%CI: 5.4%-6.8%)). In contrast, higher latent tuberculosis infection rates were observed in the following subgroups: other diagnostic criteria (including interferon-gamma release assay, T-cell spot test for tuberculosis infection, and recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis fusion protein skin test) (9.2% (95%CI: 6.1%-12.2%)), East China region (10.1% (95%CI: 7.8%-12.3%)), middle school students (6.6% (95%CI: 5.6%-7.7%)), studies with a sample size of <10000 (8.7% (95%CI: 7.0%-10.3%)), studies conducted after 2017 (6.8% (95%CI: 5.8%-7.7%)), and close contacts (8.3% (95%CI: 6.2%-10.3%)). Conclusion: The prevalence of LTBI among Chinese students remains relatively high, while the willingness to accept TPT is comparatively low.

Key words: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Infection, Protective agents, Students, Meta-analysis