Table 1 Rationale of age stratification based on socioeconomic background and tuberculosis status of each birth year in South Korea
Age Group (Years) | Calendar year of birth | Socioeconomic background of each calendar year | TB status of each calendar year | National guideline for anti-TB treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
15–34 | After 1980s | Sustained economic growth with expansion of national health insurance | Sustained decrement of TB prevalence | Shorter regimen with additional use of rifampicin for 6–9 months |
35–59 | Between 1960s and 1970s | Spurt of economic growth | Marked by rapidly declining TB prevalence | Triple therapy using isoniazid and streptomycin for 18 months |
≥60 | Before 1950s | Before and after the Korean War | Probable explosion of TB epidemic in the Korean peninsular | Before implementing national TB control program |