The association of housing density, isolation and tuberculosis in Canadian First Nations communities.

Background: First Nations communities in Canada experience disproportionately high levels of overcrowded housing, degree of isolation, and rates of tuberculosis (TB). A study was done to assess the association between housing density, isolation, and the occurrence of TB in First Nations communities.

Methods: Average persons per room (ppr), isolation type, average household income, population, and TB cases (1997-1999) at the community level were entered into a database.