Knowledge, health seeking behavior and perceived stigma towards tuberculosis among tuberculosis suspects in a rural community in southwest Ethiopia

Sociocultural understanding of Tuberculosis and implications for care-seeking among adults in the province of Zambezia, Mozambique: Qualitative research

INTRODUCTION

Mozambique has a high burden of Tuberculosis (TB) with an incidence of 368 per 100,000 population in 2020, coupled with a low all-form TB detection rate. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated delays in timely diagnosis and treatment of new TB cases. Promoting active TB case finding is a national priority in Mozambique. We conducted qualitative research to explore factors influencing TB testing in Zambezia province in Mozambique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One-to-one, semi-structured, audio-recorded telephone interviews were conducted to explore TB-related knowledge, and barriers and facilitators to TB testing. A sample of two TB Program staff, two community providers of TB services, and 19 community members (10 women and 9 men) was recruited, with support from provincial government TB staff, from four districts in Zambezia with a high TB burden. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was conducted. The Mozambican National Bioethics Committee for Health approved the study protocol.

RESULTS

Our study highlights that knowledge about TB symptoms and its causes is low, which could delay timely TB testing. Sociocultural beliefs often implicate certain types of sexual activity and women as causes of TB symptoms; for example, having sex with a widow who has not been traditionally purified, or with a woman who has had an abortion. Therefore, people usually tend to first seek care from traditional healers instead of going to a health facility. Additionally, stigma associated with HIV and TB also delays care seeking. Gender-related disparities in TB care seeking were also evident.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into how healthcare seeking for TB is influenced by sociocultural understanding of symptoms and gender dynamics. Therefore, interventions to promote timely and appropriate care seeking for TB should be contextually tailored, culturally appropriate, and gender sensitive.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis index cases family in Shebedino District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Introduction

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death, despite being a largely curable and preventable disease. The goals of TB control are to reduce infection transmission, morbidity, and mortality until TB cannot be a threat to public health any longer while preventing drug resistance. Assessing KAP on TB control and prevention among family members is more essential, and taking action based on the result can break the transmission of TB infection.

Methods

From August to September 2022, a community-based cross-sectional study method was used. A total of 422 participants were selected from a list of sample frames who were family members of PTB patients who had used anti-TB medication in the previous 12 months prior to the study period using a systematic random sampling method. SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine variables related to KAP on TB prevention and control. A variable with p-values less than 0.25 was included in the multivariable logistic regression model to find independent determinant factors. In the multivariate logistic regression, variables with p-values ≤0.05 were identified as statistically significant.

Result

A total of 414 family members responded to the survey questionnaire. The average knowledge score on TB was 17.11 ± 6.34. The majority (51.9%) of respondents had a good knowledge of TB cases. One-third of those polled had an unfavorable attitude towards PTB prevention, with a mean score of 3.16 ± 1.78 and 55.1% had good practice in preventing tuberculosis. Marital status (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5-2.5) was an independent predictor of knowledge. Practice level is independently affected by occupation (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI = (1.7-8.7)) and health education on PTB (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI = (1.6-3.9).

Conclusion

Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices about tuberculosis were not satisfactory when compared to several national and international studies. It is necessary to strengthen the program for health education and awareness-building on PTB.

Tuberculosis Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice in Middle- and Low-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from an infectious agent in the world. Most tuberculosis cases are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to better understand tuberculosis-related knowledge about TB disease, prevention, treatment and sources of information, attitudes towards TB patients and their stigmatization and prevention, diagnosis and treatment practices in the general population of middle- and low-income countries, with a high tuberculosis burden, and provide evidence for policy development and decision-making. A systematic review of 30 studies was performed. Studies reporting on knowledge, attitudes, and practices surveys were selected for systematic review through database searching. Population knowledge about TB signs and symptoms, prevention practices, and treatment means was found inadequate. Stigmatization is frequent, and the reactions to possible diagnoses are negative. Access to health services is limited due to difficulties in transportation, distance, and economic cost. Deficiencies in knowledge and TB health-seeking practices were present regardless of the living area, gender, or country; however, it seems that there is a frequent association between less knowledge about TB and a lower socioeconomic and educational level. This study revealed gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practices in focused in middle- and low-income countries. Policymakers could take into account the evidence provided by the KAP surveys and adapt their strategies based on the identified gaps, promoting innovative approaches and empowering the communities as key stakeholders. It is necessary to develop education programs on symptoms, preventive practices, and treatment for TB, to reduce transmission and stigmatization. It becomes also necessary to provide communities with innovative healthcare solutions to reduce their barriers to access to diagnosis and treatment.

Short Comprehensive Multimodal Behavioural Intervention for Tuberculosis-Can It Be Effectively Incorporated in Tribal Health?

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis management in tribal areas is a major challenge to the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program in India. There is need for culturally appropriate interventions for bridging the gaps existing in the current system. There is paucity of research in this vulnerable group; hence, a study was undertaken to determine the effect of a Short Comprehensive Multimodal Behavioural Intervention in tribal colonies of Kerala.

METHODS

The study used before-after design to assess the effectiveness of a Short Comprehensive Multimodal Behavioural Intervention for tuberculosis knowledge and voluntary reporting among residents of tribal colonies. The intervention included individual, small group, and large group education, with verbal, printed, and performance methods. Public-private partnership with community participation was emphasized to encourage the residents to approach public health system for managing tuberculosis.

RESULTS

Ten tribal colonies from two districts were included with 104 participants. There was significant improvement in the proportion of participants with knowledge regarding different aspects of tuberculosis such as aetiology, symptoms, transmission, and treatment. The overall knowledge score had a significant improvement [median (range) 3.0 (0-9) to 7.0 (0-11), p < 0.001] when assessed one month consequent to the intense period of group education.

CONCLUSION

Short-term health behavioural intervention package appropriate for the target group, implemented with public-private partnership and community participation of trained local volunteers, proved effective in improving the knowledge regarding tuberculosis and thereby health-seeking behaviour in detection. This can be tested for scaling up, and replication in other tribal health issues.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Tuberculosis in Indonesia: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a persistent health challenge in Indonesia and ranks high on the list of factors causing morbidity and mortality. Improving knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of the general community about TB can help to control the disease.

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the KAP about TB in Indonesian society and investigate their sociodemographic determinants.

Participants and Methods

An online cross-sectional survey in 34 provinces in Indonesia was carried out in June 2022. The scores of KAP were classified as low, moderate, and high. Bivariate and multivariate ordinal logistic regression were applied to identify the potential sociodemographic determinants of KAP. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each determinant were provided.

Results

Among the 3205 participants, 56.4%, 91%, and 38% had high scores on knowledge, attitude, and perception, respectively. Independent determinants of high knowledge were age (26-35 years; adjusted odds ratio: 1.53 [95% CI: 1.19-1.97]), marital status (married; adjusted odds ratio: 1.18 [95% CI: 1.00-1.39]), and salary (middle income; adjusted odds ratio: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.63-0.93]). Independent factors associated with high scores in attitude and perception were the residence location (village; adjusted odds ratio: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.59-0.98]) and the occupation type (civil servant; adjusted odds ratio: 1.53 [95% CI: 1.09-2.13]), respectively.

Conclusion

Most Indonesians have a high knowledge and good attitude, although they have a moderate perception toward TB. Improving public awareness and health education with the right strategies is critical to reducing the country's TB burden.

Perceived stress and its psychosocial and clinical correlates among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Although various psychosocial consequences of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have been thoroughly evaluated, perceived stress has not been well studied.

AIM

This study assessed perceived stress and its psychosocial and clinical correlates.

METHODS

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 PTB patients. Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v23. Independent sample t-test and Pearson correlation were used to test the association between perceived stress and other variables. Assumptions of linear regression were checked. Multiple regression analysis was done to identify statistically significant association at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Anxiety, perceived social support, and stigma were found to have significant association with perceived stress in multiple regression analysis. Perceived social support and duration of treatment were negatively significantly associated with perceived stress. Patients with PTB had high perceived stress, and moderate to strong significant correlation was observed among variables.

CONCLUSION

Interventions tailored at addressing various psychosocial aspects of tuberculosis (TB) are needed.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Knowledge towards Tuberculosis Transmission among Women of 15–49 Years of Age in India

Background. India is one of the countries in the world most heavily impacted by tuberculosis (TB). In 2015, TB was a leading cause of death, killing 1.4 million people worldwide. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and associated factors regarding the transmission of TB among women in India. Method. We used publicly available datasets collected as part of the NFHS during 2015–16 in India. Data related to sociodemographic factors and knowledge about the transmission of TB among women (N = 699,686) were extracted using STATA. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with the knowledge of TB transmission among women. Results. Among 699,686 women, 88.36% knew about TB, 59.81% recognized that tuberculosis spreads by air through coughing or sneezing, and 78.55% understood that tuberculosis is a curable disease indicating correct knowledge about TB. 70.74% of the women were from rural areas with 59.29% having a secondary or higher level of education and 40.41% living in poverty. Multivariable analysis indicated that the probability of having good knowledge of TB was consistently significant among women with higher education [aOR: 2.502; 95% CI: 2.454–2.551]; women living in rich households (highest wealth quintile) [aOR: 1.590; 95% CI: 1.556–1.625]; and women residing in urban areas [aOR: 1.191; 95% CI: 1.166–1.215] than their rural counterparts. Conclusion. The findings of this study showed that women in India have moderately good knowledge and a correct attitude towards tuberculosis. However, the level of information varies with the various sociodemographic factors such as age group, place of residence, education, wealth index, religion, and caste/tribe bearing a positive causal relationship between the knowledge and TB transmission and hence the resulting attitude.

Characterising and Addressing the Psychosocial Impact of Tuberculosis in Indonesia (CAPITA): A study protocol

Background: Tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma remains a key barrier for people with TB to access and engage with TB services and can contribute to the development of mental illnesses. This study aims to characterise stigmatisation towards people with TB and its psychosocial impact in Indonesia. Methods: This study will apply a sequential mixed method in two main settings: TB services-based population (setting 1) and workplace-based population (setting 2). In setting 1, we will interview 770 adults with TB who undergo sensitive-drug TB treatment in seven provinces of Indonesia. The interview will use the validated TB Stigma Scale questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and EQ-5D-5L to assess stigma, mental illness, and quality of life. In Setting 2, we will deploy an online questionnaire to 640 adult employees in 12 public and private companies. The quantitative data will be followed by in-depth interview to TB-related stakeholders. Results: CAPITA will not only characterise the enacted stigma which are directly experienced by people with TB, but also self-stigma felt by people with TB, secondary stigma faced by their family members, and structural stigma related to the law and policy. The qualitative analyses will strengthen the quantitative findings to formulate the potential policy direction for zero TB stigma in health service facilities and workplaces. Involving all stakeholders, i.e., people with TB, healthcare workers, National Tuberculosis Program officers, The Ministry of Health Workforce, company managers, and employees, will enhance the policy formulation. The validated tool to measure TB-related stigma will also be promoted for scaling up to be implemented at the national level. Conclusions: To improve patient-centered TB control strategy policy, it is essential to characterise and address TB-related stigma and mental illness and explore the needs for psychosocial support for an effective intervention to mitigate the psychosocial impact of TB.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Tuberculosis Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among the General Population in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Background Religious gatherings like the Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage, attract millions of people to one place during the same time frame. Due to crowding, infectious diseases, specifically tuberculosis (TB), are very common during such events. This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the public in the western region of Saudi Arabia related to TB to better understand the situation. Methodology An observational, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted over two months between January and March 2022. A survey of 29 questions was used to collect data from the general population. The study included any person who was a resident of Makkah. Individuals under 18 years of age and health workers were excluded. We used OpenEpi, version 3.0, for sample size calculation, which gave a result of 604 participants, and SPSS version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for data analysis. Results A total of 604 participants were included in this study; 64.7% of respondents showed poor overall knowledge, and 14.1% had good knowledge of TB. Concerning attitude, 89.9% of the respondents showed poor attitude, and only 2.3% had a good attitude. As for practice, 59.4% of respondents had poor knowledge of proper practices, and only 10.4% knew the right practices regarding TB. Upon further analysis of our results, women exhibited better knowledge of TB than men (0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44-0.87). Participants over 50 years old had the lowest knowledge about TB compared with participants aged 18 to 28 years old (7.61, 95% CI, 4.35-13.32). Non-Saudi residents had less knowledge compared with Saudi residents (45.849, 95% CI, 18.475-113.78). Level of education also played a substantial role; university graduates had the most knowledge about TB compared with participants with below university or no formal education (0.052, 95% CI, 0.01-0.40). Conclusions Participants with lower educational backgrounds were the most lacking in knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding TB. This lack of knowledge was more common among non-Saudi men over 50 years old. Information campaigns are needed to help reduce the prevalence of TB.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices of tuberculosis patients towards DOTs regimen in Jimma health center, Jimma zone, southwest Ethiopia

Objectives

The purpose of conducting this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of tuberculosis patients towards dots regimen in Jimma health Center. In addition, assessing the attitude of tuberculosis towards factors, modern, and traditional medicine was another aim of this study.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted based on patient card and registration book at TB follow-up clinic at Jimma health center, southwest Ethiopia. The study population comprises 150 participants, who were selected from the patient registration book by interviewing and questionnaires. Additionally, cross-tabulation and OR with 95% confidence interval were computed.

Results

In this study, only 103 (68.7%) and 47 (31.3%) patients scored higher and lower knowledge status respectively. Of the total enrolled governmental employee, 25 (16.7 %) patients had an overall high knowledge status. On the other hand, 101 (67.3%) and 49 (32.7 %) patients scored high and low overall attitude respectively.

Conclusions

In this study, the knowledge and attitude of patients about TB and its treatment were found within a low level of perception. Therefore, implementation of health education and awareness creation through different mobilization mechanisms are required to avoid the problem for patients.

Characterising and Addressing the Psychosocial Impact of Tuberculosis in Indonesia (CAPITA): A study protocol

Background: Tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma remains a key barrier for people with TB to access and engage with TB services and can contribute to the development of mental illnesses. This study aims to characterise stigmatisation towards people with TB and its psychosocial impact in Indonesia. Methods: This study will apply a sequential mixed method in two main settings: TB services-based population (setting 1) and workplace-based population (setting 2). In setting 1, we will interview 770 adults with TB who undergo sensitive-drug TB treatment in seven provinces of Indonesia. The interview will use the validated TB Stigma Scale questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and EQ-5D-5L to assess stigma, mental illness, and quality of life. In Setting 2, we will deploy an online questionnaire to 640 adult employees in 12 public and private companies. The quantitative data will be followed by in-depth interview to TB-related stakeholders. Results: CAPITA will not only characterise the enacted stigma which are directly experienced by people with TB, but also self-stigma felt by people with TB, secondary stigma faced by their family members, and structural stigma related to the law and policy. The qualitative analyses will strengthen the quantitative findings to formulate the potential policy direction for zero TB stigma in health service facilities and workplaces. Involving all stakeholders, i.e., people with TB, healthcare workers, National Tuberculosis Program officers, The Ministry of Health Workforce, company managers, and employees, will enhance the policy formulation. The validated tool to measure TB-related stigma will also be promoted for scaling up to be implemented at the national level. Conclusions: To improve patient-centered TB control strategy policy, it is essential to characterise and address TB-related stigma and mental illness and explore the needs for psychosocial support for an effective intervention to mitigate the psychosocial impact of TB.

Prevalence and associated factors of perceived stigma among medically ill patients on follow-up screened positive for depression in Ethiopia: facility-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Many people are familiar with the issues of stigma in mental health or HIV, but feeling stigma as an underlying factor for many medically ill-health conditions has not been examined.

METHODS

Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on patients followed for medical illnesses and having depression. We recruited 384 participants and who were interviewed by nurses using face-to-face interviews and a systematic random sampling technique applied. We used a perceived devaluation and discrimination, a 12-item tool that is used to measure outcome perceived stigma. Variables were coded and entered Epi Info V.3.5.3 and exported to SPSS V.20 for analysis. Statistical analysis parameters, such as descriptive and multivariate logistic regression, were used for data analysis. Adjusted ORs (AORs) with a 95% CI and p value <0.05 were declared significance.

RESULT

The prevalence of perceived stigma on a patient who followed for medical illness screened positive for depression was found to be around 66.3%. In the multivariate logistic regression, patients with hypertension 61% less likely ((AOR=0.39, 95% CI (0.17 to 0.89)) to have perceived stigma than with asthma and cardiac patients, patients completed higher education 2.15 times ((AOR=2.15; 95% CI 1.05 to 4.40)) more likely to have perceived stigma than which cannot read and write. Patients who had the previous admission with medical illness 1-2 times were 3.52 more likely (AOR=3.52, 95% CI (2.14 to 5.78)) perceived stigma than those who had no hospital admission. Patients who had the previous admission three times with medical illness were 6.1 more likely (AOR=6.1, 95% CI (2.32 to 16.07)) to have perceived stigma than those who had no previous hospital admission.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of perceived stigma among patients who had on follow-up for medical illnesses was high. Educational status, history of previous hospital admission were considerably associated with higher perceived stigma.

Tackling the global impact of substandard and falsified and unregistered/unlicensed anti-tuberculosis medicines

Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines are a global health challenge with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that 1 in 10 of medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are SF. Antimicrobials (i.e. antimalarials, antibiotics) are the most commonly reported SF medicines. SF medicines contribute significantly to the global burden of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This article discusses the challenges associated with the global impact of SF and unregistered/unlicensed antimicrobials with a focus on anti-TB medicines. Tuberculosis (TB) is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, and is currently the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking after COVID-19 and above HIV/AIDS. Specifically in the case of TB, poor quality of anti-TB medicines is among the drivers of the emergence of drug-resistant TB pathogens. In this article, we highlight and discuss challenges including the emergence of SF associated AMR, patient mistrust and lack of relevant data. We also present study reports to inform meaningful change. Recommended solutions involve the adaptation of interventions from high-income countries (HICs) to LMICS, the need for improvement in the uptake of medication authentication tools in LMICs, increased stewardship, and the need for global and regional multidisciplinary legal and policy cooperation, resulting in improved legal sanctions.

A Predictive Model of Pandemic Disaster Fear Caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19): Implications for Decision-Makers

This paper presents quantitative research results regarding a predictive model of pandemic disaster fear caused by the coronavirus disease (COVİD-19). The aim of this paper was to establish the level and impact of certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristics on pandemic disaster fear caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19). The research was conducted using a questionnaire that was provided and then collected online for 1226 respondents during May 2021. A closed, five-point Likert scale was used to create the structured questionnaire. The first section of the questionnaire included research questions about the participants' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, while the second section included issue questions about fear caused by COVID-19. The results of multivariate regression analyses showed the most important predictor for fear of COVID-19 to be gender, followed by age and education level. Furthermore, the results of t-tests showed statistically significant differences between men and women in terms of different aspects of pandemic disaster fear caused by the coronavirus disease. Our results have several significant public health implications. Women who were more educated and knowledgeable, married, and older, reported a greater fear of the outbreak at various levels. Decision-makers can use these findings to identify better strategic opportunities for pandemic disaster risk management.

Tuberculosis prevalence, knowledge of transmission and its association with vaccination of children

Background

Understanding the perceptions of patients regarding tuberculosis (TB) will enable better design of a comprehensive, client-oriented program for the disease.

Methods

This study was conducted district-wise across India in 2015-2016 as part of the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS).

Results

We discovered that the prevalence of TB remains significantly high, with quite a high percentage of people being unaware of the exact cause of disease proliferation. The majority of people believed that touching or sharing utensils can be a source of TB. This perception affected the participants' responses about seeking diagnosis and treatment. However, it is a good sign that most people knew that TB is a curable disease that can be prevented to some extent if immunization with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is done at the correct stage. So, a large section of the population had their children vaccinated. In addition, they would go for diagnosis if they had symptoms suggestive of the disease.

Conclusion

Findings from this study are indicative of the fact that a large population is aware that health facilities can make a significant contribution to the treatment of tuberculosis. There is a need to further investigate how this information could potentially be used to enhance early seeking of appropriate services among TB patients.

Tuberculosis Knowledge and Delayed Health Care Seeking Among New Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients in Primary Health Facilities in an Urban District, South Africa

Patients’ delay in seeking health care is a major problem in the control of tuberculosis (TB) and increases the risk of TB transmission. This study determined health-seeking practices and delays that occurred from the onset of TB symptoms until diagnosis and assessed the patients’ TB-related knowledge. This was a cross-sectional study involving 391 new TB patients recruited from health facilities at an urban sub-district in South Africa from December 2016 to March 2017. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata 14. Over half (56.3%) of the patients delayed seeking health care for more than 30 days after the onset of their symptoms, 32% sought treatment from informal providers, and 13.3% self-medicated. Lack of suspicion of a TB diagnosis, which was prevalent in 45% of respondents, was statistically associated with delay in seeking healthcare (AOR = 0.53, CI: 0.32-1.87). Overall TB knowledge was high, correct knowledge about TB transmission was 92.6%. TB knowledge was significantly associated with educational status (AOR = 3.96, CI: 1.69-9.28) and seeking treatment from informal sectors (AOR = 0.17, CI: 0.03-0.95). High overall TB knowledge was not statistically associated with seeking health care for TB diagnosis and treatment. We found a substantial delay between the onset of TB symptoms and seeking healthcare from a public health facility providing TB screening services. Promoting early screening and diagnosis through increasing awareness of TB is key in the elimination of TB in communities with a high TB burden

Duration and determinants of delayed tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in high-burden countries: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Thirty countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden bear 87% of the world's TB cases. Delayed diagnosis and treatment are detrimental to TB prognosis and sustain TB transmission in the community, making TB elimination a great challenge, especially in these countries. Our objective was to elucidate the duration and determinants of delayed diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB in high TB-burden countries.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies by searching four databases for literature published between 2008 and 2018 following PRISMA guidelines. We performed a narrative synthesis of the covariates significantly associated with patient, health system, treatment, and total delays. The pooled median duration of delay and effect sizes of covariates were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses. We identified key qualitative themes using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

This review included 124 articles from 14 low- and lower-middle-income countries (LIC and LMIC) and five upper-middle-income countries (UMIC). The pooled median duration of delays (in days) were-patient delay (LIC/LMIC: 28 (95% CI 20-30); UMIC: 10 (95% CI 10-20), health system delay (LIC/LMIC: 14 (95% CI 2-28); UMIC: 4 (95% CI 2-4), and treatment delay (LIC/LMIC: 14 (95% CI 3-84); UMIC: 0 (95% CI 0-1). There was consistent evidence that being female and rural residence was associated with longer patient delay. Patient delay was also associated with other individual, interpersonal, and community risk factors such as poor TB knowledge, long chains of care-seeking through private/multiple providers, perceived stigma, financial insecurities, and poor access to healthcare. Organizational and policy factors mediated health system and treatment delays. These factors included the lack of resources and complex administrative procedures and systems at the health facilities. We identified data gaps in 11 high-burden countries.

CONCLUSIONS

This review presented the duration of delays and detailed the determinants of delayed TB diagnosis and treatment in high-burden countries. The gaps identified could be addressed through tailored approaches, education, and at a higher level, through health system strengthening and provision of universal health coverage to reduce delays and improve access to TB diagnosis and care. PROSPERO registration: CRD42018107237.

Self-reported gender differentials in the knowledge of tuberculosis transmission and curative possibility using national representative data in Ghana

Background

Health-seeking behaviour, stigma, and discrimination towards people affected by tuberculosis (TB) are influenced by awareness of the disease. Gender differentials in the diagnosis and treatment of TB have been reported in other settings of the world. However, little is known about the gender differences in the knowledge of TB transmission and curative possibility in Ghana.

Methods

The analysed data were a weighted sample of 9,396 women aged 15–49 years and 4,388 men aged 15–59 years, obtained from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The dependent variable, correct knowledge regarding TB transmission and cure was derived from questions on the transmission of the disease and the possibility of a cure. A design-based multivariate logistic regression model in Stata 13.0/SE was used to identify the correlates of reporting correct knowledge.

Results

Overall, the mean knowledge score was 6.1±0.9 (maximum = 7). Of the 13,784 respondents, 45.7% (95% CI: 44.0–47.3) reported correct knowledge regarding TB transmission and cure. Men had significantly higher knowledge than women (50.9% versus 43.2%). Misconceptions, including TB transmitted through sharing utensils (13.3%), food (6.9%), touching a person with TB (4.5%), sexual contact (4.1%), and mosquito bites (0.4%) were noted. About 30% (33% women and 25% men) of the total sample would keep the information secret when a household member is affected with TB. In the adjusted analysis, age, gender, education, region, place of residence, wealth quintile, frequency of reading newspaper/magazine, listening to the radio, and watching television were significantly associated with reporting correct knowledge.

Conclusions

There was low knowledge regarding TB transmission and cure. Misconceptions regarding the transmission of TB prevailed among the participants. Gender differential in knowledge was observed. Comparatively, females were less likely to be aware of TB and report correct knowledge regarding TB transmission but were more likely to conceal information when a household member was affected by the disease.

Community drivers of tuberculosis diagnostic delay in Kampala, Uganda: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Recent approaches to TB control have focused on identifying and treating active cases to halt further transmission. Patients with TB symptoms often delay to seek care, get appropriate diagnosis, and initiate effective treatment. These delays are partly influenced by whom the patients contact within their community network. We aimed to evaluate the community drivers of diagnostic delay in an urban setting in Uganda.

METHODS

In this study we analyze data from a retrospective cohort of 194 TB patients in Kampala, Uganda. We characterized the patterns of contacts made by patients seeking care for TB symptoms. The main outcome of interest was total community contact delay, defined as the time patients spent seeking care before visiting a provider capable of diagnosing TB.

RESULTS

Visits to health providers without access to appropriate diagnostic services accounted for 56% of contacts made by cohort members, and were significantly associated with community contact delay, as were symptoms common to other prevalent illnesses, such as bone and joint pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Education programs aimed at primary care providers, as well as other community members, may benefit case identification, by informing them of rarer symptoms of TB, potential for co-infections of TB and other prevalent diseases, and the availability of diagnostic services.

Challenges in delivery of tuberculosis Services in Ethiopian Pastoralist Settings: clues for reforming service models and organizational structures

Background

The End-TB strategy aims to see a world free of tuberculosis (TB) by the coming decade through detecting and treating all cases irrespective of socioeconomic inequalities. However, case detections and treatment outcomes have not been as they should be in Somali pastoral settings of Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to explore the challenges that hinder the delivery and utilization of TB services in pastoral areas.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted between December 2017 and October 2018 among pastoralist patients with delay of ≥2 months in seeking healthcare, healthcare providers and programme managers. Data were collected from different sources using 41 in-depth interviews, observations of facilities and a review meeting of providers from 50 health facilities. The data were transcribed, coded and analyzed to identify pre-defined and emerging sub-themes. ATLAS.ti version 7.0 was used for coding data, categorizing codes, and visualizing networks.

Results

Poor knowledge of TB and its services, limited accessibility (unreachability, unavailability and unacceptability), pastoralism, and initial healthcare-seeking at informal drug vendors that provide improper medications were the key barriers hindering the uptake of TB medical services. Inadequate infrastructure, shortage of trained and enthused providers, interruptions of drugs and laboratory supplies, scarce equipment, programme management gaps, lack of tailored approach, low private engagement, and cross-border movement were the major challenges affecting the provision of TB services for pastoral communities. The root factors were limited potential healthcare coverage, lack of zonal and district TB units, mobility and drought, strategy and funding gaps, and poor development infrastructure.

Conclusion

In pastoral settings of Ethiopia, the major challenges of TB services are limited access, illicit medication practices, inadequate resources, structural deficits, and lack of tailored approaches. Hence, for the pastoral TB control to be successful, mobile screening and treatment modalities and engaging rural drug vendors will be instrumental in enhancing case findings and treatment compliance; whereas, service expansion and management decentralization will be essential to create responsive structures for overcoming challenges.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06662-3.

Knowledge, stigma and health-seeking behavior of patients co-infected with HIV and tuberculosis in Jakarta

The purpose was to identify knowledge and TB stigma, as well as its relationship with health-seeking behavior in HIV and TB co-infection patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 115 HIV and TB co-infection patients who visited the VCT Polyclinic in five hospitals in Jakarta. This study was using instruments: Brief HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire (HIV-KQ-18), Knowledge TB survey Questionnaire, Berger HIV stigma Scale, Tuberculosis-Related Stigma Scale. This study showed that respondents had good knowledge of TB (69.6%) and had a low stigma of TB (55.7%), and had a health-seeking behavior that did not delay consultation (55.7%). There was a significant relationship between TB knowledge (p-value: 0.042) and TB stigma (p-value: 0.026) with health-seeking behavior. The results of this study can be used as guidelines to improve education and counseling about TB knowledge and TB stigma in HIV and TB co-infection patients.

Human and bovine tuberculosis knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among cattle owners in Ethiopia

Tuberculosis (TB) is a re-emerging disease occurring worldwide, resulting in multi-billion-dollar loss and human death annually. The situation is worse in developing countries like Ethiopia, where lower knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the people is poor about the disease. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess livestock owners' KAP level towards human and bovine Tuberculosis in Gondar, Ethiopia. A total of 349 study participants were addressed through a face-to-face interview. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-squares analysis were used to analyze the data and observe the association between outcome (KAP level) and predictor variables (sociodemographic characteristics). Out of the 349 respondents, 223 (63.9%) were males, while 126 (36.1%) were females. The KAP measuring interview indicated that 97.4% of the participants are aware of human tuberculosis, while only 84 (24.1%) know about bovine tuberculosis cause and mode of transmission. Inhalation was reported as the main route of transmission for human TB (41.1%) whereas, 50% of the respondent mentioned inhalation, contact, and ingestion of raw animal products as the main route of TB transmission from animal to human. Among those who have heard of bovine tuberculosis, only 56 (66.7%) of respondents consider bovine tuberculosis as a significant threat to public health. The study showed there is a lower KAP on bovine TB among cattle owners in the study area. Therefore, community health education about the impact of the disease, transmission, control, and prevention should be integrated with one health-oriented education and research to eradicate the disease from the country.

Limited knowledge and distrust are important social factors of out-patient' s 'inappropriate diagnosed seeking behaviour': a qualitative research in Shanghai

AIMS

This study is designed to present out-patient's 'inappropriate diagnosed seeking behaviour' in tertiary hospitals and interpret its association with some potential social factors.

METHODS

A qualitative study based on grounded theory was designed in this paper. The participates were recruited by a two-stage process. The field observation and in-depth interview were adopted for data collection. Multi-round (five rounds) sampling and continuing data analysis were adopted as well.

RESULTS

Totally 26 out-patients from three tertiary hospitals in Shanghai were involved. Four focused codes, including 'limited policy-related knowledge', 'limited health-related knowledge', 'distrust on related policy' and 'distrust on medical networks', were identified. Then, a theoretical model about the association of out-patient's 'limited knowledge' with 'distrust' and its relationship with 'inappropriate first-diagnosed seeking behaviour' in tertiary hospitals was developed.

CONCLUSION

'Inappropriate first-diagnosed seeking behaviour' of the out-patients in tertiary hospitals is closely associated with their limited knowledge and related distrust. Great effort on improving publics' knowledge and rebuilding a benign trust relationship with out-patients and the medical networks is found to be essential for guiding publics' appropriate first-diagnosed health behaviour in various levels of medical institutions.

Tuberculosis-related stigma and its determinants in Dalian, Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Background

The stigma of tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant challenge to TB control because it leads to delayed diagnosis and non-adherence. However, few studies on TB-related stigma have been completed in China. The aim of the current study was to explore the status of TB-related stigma and its associated predictive factors among TB patients in Dalian, Northeast China.

Methods

An institution-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among outpatients at Dalian Tuberculosis Hospital in Liaoning Province, Northeast China. Data were collected by using a questionnaire that measured TB-related stigma, treatment status, anxiety, social support, doctor-patient communication and so on. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine the predictors of TB-related stigma.

Results

A total of 601 eligible participants were recruited. The mean score for TB-related stigma was 9.07, and the median score was 10. The average scores for anxiety, social support and doctor-patient communication were 4.03, 25.41 and 17.17, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that patients who were female (β = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.38–2.01, P < 0.05), had self-assessed moderate or severe disease (β = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.12–2.03 and β = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.03–2.70, respectively, P < 0.05), and had anxiety (β = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.30–0.46, P < 0.001) were more likely to have a greater level of TB-related stigma than their counterparts. However, a significantly lower level of TB-related stigma was observed in patients with good social support (β = − 0.25, 95% CI: − 0.33--0.17, P < 0.001) and doctor-patient communication (β = − 0.14, 95% CI: − 0.29--0.00, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study showed that stigma among TB patients was high. Targeted attention should be paid to female patients and patients with moderate or severe disease in TB stigma-related interventions. Moreover, the important role of social support and doctor-patient communication in reducing TB-related stigma should also be emphasized.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-020-10055-2.

A Comparative Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Determinants of Tuberculosis-Associated Stigma in Rural and Urban Communities of Lagos State, Nigeria

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is an important public health concern in Nigeria. TB-associated stigma could lead to delayed diagnosis and care, treatment default, and multidrug resistance. Understanding of TB-associated stigma is therefore important for TB control. The study is aimed at determining and comparing the knowledge, attitude, and determinants of TB-associated stigma. Methodology. This was a comparative cross-sectional study among adults in urban and rural areas of Lagos State, Nigeria. Respondents were selected through a multistage sampling technique and interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire, which contained the Explanatory Model Interviewed Catalogue (EMIC) stigma scale. IBM SPSS Statistics Software package version 20 was used for analysis.

Results

A total of 790 respondents were interviewed. High proportions of respondents in rural and urban areas were aware of TB (97.5% and 99.2%, respectively). Respondents in the urban areas had overall better knowledge of TB compared to the rural areas (59.4% vs. 23%; p < 0.001), while respondents in the rural areas had a better attitude to TB (60.5% vs. 49.9%; p = 0.002). The majority of respondents in rural and urban areas had TB-associated stigma (93% and 95.7%, respectively). The mean stigma score was higher in the urban compared to rural areas (17.43 ± 6.012 and 16.54 ± 6.324, respectively, p = 0.046). Marital status and ethnicity were the predictors of TB-associated stigma in the rural communities (AOR-0.257; CI-0.086-0.761; p = 0.014 and AOR–3.09; CI-1.087-8.812; p = 0.034, respectively), while average monthly income and age of respondents were the predictors of TB-associated stigma in urban areas (AOR–0.274; CI–0.009-0.807; p = 0.019 and AOR-0.212; CI–0.057-0.788; p = 0.021, respectively).

Conclusion

TB-associated stigma is prevalent in both rural and urban areas in this study. There is therefore a need to disseminate health appropriate information through the involvement of the community. Also, innovative stigma reduction activities are urgently needed.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Towards Tuberculosis Among Clients Visiting Tepi General Hospital Outpatient Departments, 2019

Background

Tuberculosis, which is an infectious disease, is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Ethiopia is facing high tuberculosis burdens. Even if it is preventable and curable, individuals' KAP towards the disease is one of the bottlenecks in decreasing the disease burdens. TGH, located in the Sheka zone, is one of the remote areas and the KAP towards TB is unknown. Therefore, the current study was undertaken in TGH to assess the KAP towards TB.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 randomly selected participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data by a face-to-face interview from May 23 to June 23/2019. Data were entered into Epidata 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 21 for descriptive analysis.

Results

A total of 345 (83%) respondents have heard about TB, while 76 (18%) respondents said persistence productive cough as symptoms of tuberculosis. Only 9.9% of participants mentioned bacteria as the cause of the diseases and 170 (41%) considered that the transmission is via air droplets. The majority (70%) of participants responded that its transmission is not preventable and overall 236 (56.9%) had high overall knowledge about TB. Thirty percent of the respondents considered that TB is serious to the area while 29% considered TB is not very serious for them. Fifty-three percent of the participants were having a favorable attitude towards tuberculosis. The majority (85%) did not cover their mouth while coughing, while 79.5% did not screen for tuberculosis and 82% of participants have not received any health education about TB. Overall, 44.6% practiced TB prevention.

Conclusion

The majority of the study participants had high overall knowledge and positive attitude towards tuberculosis prevention, which are not seen in the practice of tuberculosis. Effective educational programs should be implemented to overcome the problem.

Perceived stigma among patient with pulmonary tuberculosis at public health facilities in southwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Although tuberculosis (TB) related stigma has a significant impact on the diagnosis, patient adherence with treatment, and recovery from the disease, there is limited evidence from Ethiopia regarding perceived stigma among patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).The purpose of this study was to assess perceived stigma and associated factors among patient with PTB on treatment in southwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2019 among 410 patient with PTB. Data were collected by using the perceived tuberculosis stigma scale. Epi data v3.1 and SPSSv23 were used for data entry and analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with perceived stigma. Results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULT

Prevalence of perceived stigma among patient with Pulmonary tuberculosis was 57.1% (95% CI: 52.2, 61.7). Poor social support (AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.06, 5.48), above a month duration of illness (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.64), high perceived stress (AOR = 1.95; 95% CI:1.09, 3.49), current khat use (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI:1.05, 3.37), and presence of depression (AOR = 8.18; 95% CI:4.40, 15.22) were significantly associated with perceived stigma. Patient with HIV co-infection were 5.67 times (AOR = 5.67; 95% CI: 2.32, 13.87) more likely to have Perceived stigma than their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

TB related stigma was reported by more than half of the study participant. Stigma reduction measures are needed to lower TB related stigma perceived by the patient, the level of distress associated with it, and to promote the psychological wellbeing of patient with TB.

Quantification and correlates of tuberculosis stigma along the tuberculosis testing and treatment cascades in South Africa: a cross-sectional study

Background

South Africa has one of the world’s worst tuberculosis (TB) (520 per 100 000 population) and TB-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics (~ 56% TB/HIV co-infected). While individual- and system-level factors influencing progression along the TB cascade have been identified, the impact of stigma is underexplored and underappreciated. We conducted an exploratory study to 1) describe differences in perceived community-level TB stigma among community members, TB presumptives, and TB patients, and 2) identify factors associated with TB stigma levels among these groups.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted in November 2017 at public health care facilities in Buffalo City Metro (BCM) and Zululand health districts, South Africa. Community members, TB presumptives, and TB patients were recruited. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, TB knowledge, health and clinical history, social support, and both HIV and TB stigma. A validated scale assessing perceived community TB stigma was used. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to describe differences in perceived community TB stigma by participant type and to identify factors associated with TB stigma.

Results

We enrolled 397 participants. On a scale of zero to 24, the mean stigma score for TB presumptives (14.7 ± 4.4) was statistically higher than community members (13.6 ± 4.8) and TB patients (13.3 ± 5.1). Community members from Zululand (β = 5.73; 95% CI 2.19, 9.72) had higher TB stigma compared to those from BCM. Previously having TB (β = − 2.19; 95% CI − 4.37, 0.0064) was associated with reduced TB stigma among community members. Understanding the relationship between HIV and TB disease (β = 2.48; 95% CI 0.020, 4.94), and having low social support (β = − 0.077; 95% CI − 0.14, 0.010) were associated with increased TB stigma among TB presumptives. Among TB Patients, identifying as Black African (β = − 2.90; 95% CI − 4.74, − 1.04) and knowing the correct causes of TB (β = − 2.93; 95% CI − 4.92, − 0.94) were associated with decreased TB stigma, while understanding the relationship between HIV and TB disease (β = 2.48; 95% CI 1.05, 3.90) and higher HIV stigma (β = 0.32; 95% CI 0.21, 0.42) were associated with increased TB stigma.

Conclusions

TB stigma interventions should be developed for TB presumptives, as stigma may increase initial-loss-to-follow up. Given that stigma may be driven by numerous factors throughout the TB cascade, adaptive stigma reduction interventions may be required.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards tuberculosis in Gambia: a nation-wide cross-sectional survey

Background

Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are the mainstay of global and national TB control efforts. However, the gap between expected and reported cases persists for various reasons attributable to the TB services and care-seeking sides of the TB care cascade. Understanding individual and collective perspectives of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and other social circumstances around TB can inform an evidence-based approach in engaging communities and enhance their participation in TB case detection and treatment.

Methods

The study was conducted during the Gambian survey of TB prevalence. This was a nationwide cross-sectional multistage cluster survey with 43,100 participants aged ≥15 years in 80 clusters. The study sample, a random selection of 10% of the survey population within each cluster responded to a semi-structured questionnaire administered by trained fieldworkers to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the participants towards TB. Overall knowledge, attitude and practice scores were dichotomised using the computed mean scores and analysed using descriptive, univariable and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

All targeted participants (4309) were interviewed. Majority were females 2553 (59.2%), married 2614 (60.7%), had some form of education 2457 (57%), and were unemployed 2368 (55%). Although 3617 (83.9%) of the participants had heard about TB, only 2883 (66.9%) were considered to have good knowledge of TB. Overall 3320 (77%) had unfavourable attitudes towards TB, including 1896 (44%) who indicated a preference for staying away from persons with TB rather than helping them. However, 3607(83.7%) appeared to have the appropriate health-seeking behaviours with regard to TB as 4157 (96.5%) of them were willing to go to the health facility if they had symptoms suggestive of TB.

Conclusions

About 3 in 10 Gambians had poor knowledge on TB, and significant stigma towards TB and persons with TB persists. Interventions to improve TB knowledge and address stigma are required as part of efforts to reduce the burden of undiagnosed TB in the country.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12889-020-09685-3.

Finding gaps in TB notifications: spatial analysis of geographical patterns of TB notifications, associations with TB program efforts and social determinants of TB risk in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan

BACKGROUND

In order to effectively combat Tuberculosis, resources to diagnose and treat TB should be allocated effectively to the areas and population that need them. Although a wealth of subnational data on TB is routinely collected to support local planning, it is often underutilized. Therefore, this study uses spatial analytical techniques and profiling to understand and identify factors underlying spatial variation in TB case notification rates (CNR) in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan for better TB program planning.

METHODS

Spatial analytical techniques and profiling was used to identify subnational patterns of TB CNRs at the district level in Bangladesh (N = 64, 2015), Nepal (N = 75, 2014) and Pakistan (N = 142, 2015). A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between subnational CNR and demographic and health indicators associated with TB burden and indicators of TB programme efforts. To correct for spatial dependencies of the observations, the residuals of the multivariable models were tested for unexplained spatial autocorrelation. Spatial autocorrelation among the residuals was adjusted for by fitting a simultaneous autoregressive model (SAR).

RESULTS

Spatial clustering of TB CNRs was observed in all three countries. In Bangladesh, TB CNR were found significantly associated with testing rate (0.06%, p < 0.001), test positivity rate (14.44%, p < 0.001), proportion of bacteriologically confirmed cases (- 1.33%, p < 0.001) and population density (4.5*10-3%, p < 0.01). In Nepal, TB CNR were associated with population sex ratio (1.54%, p < 0.01), facility density (- 0.19%, p < 0.05) and treatment success rate (- 3.68%, p < 0.001). Finally, TB CNR in Pakistan were found significantly associated with testing rate (0.08%, p < 0.001), positivity rate (4.29, p < 0.001), proportion of bacteriologically confirmed cases (- 1.45, p < 0.001), vaccination coverage (1.17%, p < 0.001) and facility density (20.41%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Subnational TB CNRs are more likely reflective of TB programme efforts and access to healthcare than TB burden. TB CNRs are better used for monitoring and evaluation of TB control efforts than the TB epidemic. Using spatial analytical techniques and profiling can help identify areas where TB is underreported. Applying these techniques routinely in the surveillance facilitates the use of TB CNRs in program planning.

Noji E, Zečević M. Preparedness and Preventive Behaviors for a Pandemic Disaster Caused by COVID-19 in Serbia

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The disease was first detected in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, in December 2019 and has since spread globally, especially to Europe and North America, resulting in the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic disaster of 2019-2020. Although most cases have mild symptoms, there is some progression to viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure and death. More than 4.6 million cases have been registered across 216 countries and territories as of 19 April 2020, resulting in more than 311,000 deaths. Risk to communities with continued widespread disease transmission depends on characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccines or medications that can treat the illness) and the relative success of these. In the absence of vaccines or medications, non-pharmaceutical interventions were the most important response strategy based on community interventions such as person-to-person distancing, mask-wearing, isolation and good personal hygiene (hand-washing)-all of which have been demonstrated can reduce the impact of this seemingly unstoppable globally spreading natural disaster. This paper presents the results of quantitative research regarding the level of citizen preparedness for disasters caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Serbia. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire that was requested and then collected online among 975 respondents during disaster in April 2020. The questionnaire examined citizens' basic socio-economic and demographic characteristics, their knowledge, preparedness, risk perception and preventive measures taken individually and as a community to prevent the death and widespread transmission of novel coronavirus disease 2019 in the Republic of Serbia. Based on the findings that there are major differences in the public's perception of risks posed by communicable disease threats such as presented by COVID-19, emergency management agencies should use these differences to develop targeted strategies to enhance community and national preparedness by promoting behavioral change and improving risk management decision-making.

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Tuberculosis Patients in Direct Observation Therapy Program towards Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is becoming a major challenge of tuberculosis (TB) control program globally but more serious in developing countries like Ethiopia. In 2013, a survey result showed that in Ethiopia, tuberculosis patients from new cases and retreatment cases had resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin with a significant increase over time. Inadequate knowledge and wrong perception about MDR-TB by patients were detrimental to TB control programs. The study aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitude of TB patients of direct observation therapy program towards multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in health centres of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 health centres of Addis Ababa which were selected by simple random sampling technique. A total of 422 TB patients were included in the study, and participants from each health centres were taken proportional to the number of clients in each health centres. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Association between outcome and independent variables was explored using logistic regression.

Results

The level of knowledge of TB patients about MDR-TB was poor and only 55.0% of TB patients attained good overall knowledge. A significant association was found between good knowledge and attending tertiary level of education (AOR = 4.3, 95%CI = 1.9, 9.8), gender (AOR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.1, 2.4), income of respondents' family (OR = 0.4, 95%CI = 0.2, 0.9), and sleeping practice (AOR = 8.0, 95%CI = 4.0, 15.7). Nearly three-fourths (73.5%) of TB patients had a favourable attitude towards MDR-TB. Occupational status (AOR = 4.4, 95%CI = 2.5, 7.6) and sleeping practices (AOR = 2.4, 95%CI = 1.2, 5.0) were significantly associated with the attitude of the TB patients.

Conclusions

Knowledge of TB patients toward MDR-TB was poor. Although a large proportion of patients had a favourable attitude, it still needs to be improved. Hence, efforts should be made to implementing health education to improve awareness of TB patients about MDR-TB.

Health care seeking behavior among presumptive tuberculosis patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Health seeking behavior is one of the challenges affecting tuberculosis (TB) control program because of its high risk to prolonged diseases transmission and poor treatment outcome. Although there are few primary studies that reported diversified magnitudes of health seeking behavior among presumptive TB patients in Ethiopia, there is no review study that attempted to summarize the available evidence. Thus, this review was aimed to estimate the proportion of health care seeking behavior from health facility and to summarize the reasons why individuals with presumptive TB are not seeking health care in Ethiopia.

METHOD

A systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted on primary studies that reported proportion of health seeking behavior among presumptive TB patients. Electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct were searched to retrieve studies published in English language from Ethiopia without restricting publication year. In addition, bibliographies of included studies were also screened to retrieve potential studies. The keywords "health seeking", "health seeking behavior", "TB suspects" and "presumptive TB" were used both in Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) and free text. Random effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled proportions of health care seeking and not seeking behaviors. Stata version 14 was used for data analysis.

RESULT

Five studies which involved 3230 patients with presumptive TB were included into this review. The pooled estimated proportion of health care seeking behavior among presumptive TB patients from health facilities was 65% (95% CI, 54-76%), while the pooled proportion of not seeking health care from any sources was 17% (95% CI;6-27%). In addition, 18% (95% CI; 5-30%) of presumptive TB patients were seeking health care from inappropriate sources. Being female, younger age, low income status, absence of previous TB treatment history, low education status were the risk factors that associated with low health care seeking behavior.

CONCLUSION

Considerable proportion of patients with presumptive TB were not seeking health care from health facilities or seeks care from inappropriate sources in Ethiopia. Implementing efforts that could improve health care seeking behavior is vital to prevent prolonged disease transmission through immediate treatment commencement.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression and Anxiety Among Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis Attending Treatment at Public Health Facilities in Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety are the most commonly occurring psychiatric comorbidities among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Co-occurring anxiety and depression in PTB patients result in poor adherence to anti-tuberculosis medication. This in turn results in lower success rate of treatment and an upsurge in morbidity and mortality. Despite this problem existing globally, little has been explored in southwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis receiving treatment at public health facilities in southwest Ethiopia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2019. Data were collected from 410 PTB patients using hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Epi data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used to enter and analyze data respectively. Multiple logistic regressions were fitted to identify the strength of association between outcome and explanatory variables. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Prevalence of depression and anxiety among PTB patients were 229 (55.9 %) and 224 (54.6%), respectively. High perceived stress [AOR=3.61 (1.99, 6.53)], perceived stigma [AOR=10.13 (5.52, 18.63)], being in an intensive phase of treatment [AOR= 3.33 (1.83, 6.07)], and low body mass index [AOR=2.07 (1.13, 3.80)] were significantly associated with depression. Being female [AOR=2.42 (1.39, 4.22)], perceived stigma [AOR=3.58 (1.99, 6.42)], high perceived stress [AOR=4.40 (2.52, 7.69)], and family history of mental illness [AOR=2.66 (1.19, 5.94)] had significant association with anxiety.

CONCLUSION

More than half of the study participants were found to have probable depression and anxiety. This indicates the need to pay attention to the mental health condition of patients with PTB, particularly to those with identified risk factors.

Knowledge, Awareness, and Health-Seeking Behaviour regarding Tuberculosis in a Rural District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Pakistan is a country with one of the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, and therefore, it is imperative to revisit the design of behaviour change interventions in the program. This study was designed to understand and assess the knowledge, awareness, perceptions, and health-seeking behaviour of general and specifically TB-affected population and to determine the presence and level of stigma and discrimination toward TB patients.

METHODS

A mixed-method study was conducted in district Haripur of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, comprising a household survey, whereby 526 individuals were interviewed, and five focus group discussions with various subgroups including TB patients and health workers and authorities. Study sought an ethical approval, and data of all respondents was kept confidential.

RESULTS

Quantitative results show that women were more knowledgeable on symptomatology and spread of TB, and with rising education, awareness on TB improves. The majority of our respondents had the understanding that it is a curable disease, yet some would avoid TB patients. Most of the respondents (both men and women) knew that one must go to a government facility for treatment. Only one-third would speak to doctor first, if they suspect TB-like symptoms. Television was a popular source of information on TB. Qualitative results captured people's perceptions that TB was related with poverty and was still considered a stigma in the community; hence, patients afflicted feared disclosing the disease.

CONCLUSION

With contextual understanding of communities' knowledge, attitudes, health-seeking behaviour, and care-seeking patterns, it can be concluded that there is a need to increase the awareness about TB symptoms, mode of transmission, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and destigmatization of the disease through health education.

Where are patients missed in the tuberculosis diagnostic cascade? A prospective cohort study in Ghana

Background

Ghana’s national prevalence survey showed higher than expected tuberculosis (TB) prevalence, indicating that many people with TB are not identified and treated. This study aimed to identify gaps in the TB diagnostic cascade prior to starting treatment.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted in urban and rural health facilities in south-east Ghana. Consecutive patients routinely identified as needing a TB test were followed up for two months to find out if sputum was submitted and/or treatment started. The causal effect of health facility location on submitting sputum was assessed before risk factors were investigated using logistic regression.

Results

A total of 428 persons (mean age 48 years, 67.3% female) were recruited, 285 (66.6%) from urban and 143 (33.4%) from rural facilities. Of 410 (96%) individuals followed up, 290 (70.7%) submitted sputum, among which 27 (14.1%) had a positive result and started treatment. Among those who visited an urban facility, 245/267(91.8%) submitted sputum, compared to 45/143 (31.5%) who visited a rural facility. Participants recruited at the urban facility were far more likely to submit a sputum sample (odds ratio (OR) 24.24, 95%CI 13.84–42.51). After adjustment for confounding, there was still a strong association between attending the urban facility and submitting sputum (adjusted OR (aOR) 9.52, 95%CI 3.87–23.40). Travel distance of >10 km to the laboratory was the strongest predictor of not submitting sputum (aOR 0.12, 95%CI 0.05–0.33).

Conclusion

The majority of presumptive TB patients attending a rural health facility did not submit sputum for testing, mainly due to the long travel distance to the laboratory. Bridging this gap in the diagnostic cascade may improve case detection.

Social support from nurses and non-adherence with directly observed therapy (DOTS) maintenance phase among patients with tuberculosis in Metro Manila, Philippines

OBJECTIVE

To determine the influence of community health nurses' social support on non-adherence with the maintenance phase of directly observed therapy (DOTS) among patients with tuberculosis (TB).

DESIGN

Prospective-cohort.

SAMPLE

One hundred purposively selected patients with TB starting with DOTS maintenance phase.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants answered the robotfoto and Berlin Social Support Scale (BSSS) to assess demographics and social support provided by nurses. Non-adherence was measured using the attendance record and documented in an abstraction form. Cox proportion-hazards regression determined the influence of social support provided by nurses to non-adherence.

RESULTS

With a median adherence of 3 weeks, 15% of the sample was non-adherent. The hazard of non-adherence was lower with high perceived emotional support (HR = 0.25, p = .046), perceived instrumental support (HR = 0.20, p = .044), perceived support seeking (HR = 0.27, p = .045), and received emotional support (HR = 0.45, p = .045). High received emotional support increased non-adherence (HR = 2.65, p = .039).

CONCLUSION

Social support from nurses influenced DOTS non-adherence among patients with TB, a critical issue in the development of drug-resistance. Perceived emotional, instrumental, support seeking and received emotional support decreased the hazard of non-adherence, while received emotional support increased non-adherence. This study highlights the need to promote positive perception of instrumental support needs. Appropriate interventions should be provided to promote support-seeking skills.

Stigma matters in ending tuberculosis: Nationwide survey of stigma in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) affects, and claims the lives of, millions every year. Despite efforts to find and treat TB, about four million cases were missed globally in 2017. Barriers to accessing health care, inadequate health-seeking behavior of the community, poor socioeconomic conditions, and stigma are major determinants of this gap. Unfortunately, TB-related stigma remains unexplored in Ethiopia.

METHODS

This mixed methods survey was conducted using multistage cluster sampling to identify 32 districts and 8 sub-cities, from which 40 health centers were randomly selected. Twenty-one TB patients and 21 family members were enrolled from each health center, and 11 household members from each community in the catchment population.

RESULTS

A total of 3463 participants (844 TB patients, 836 from their families, and 1783 from the general population) were enrolled for the study. The mean age and standard deviation were 34.3 ± 12.9 years for both sexes (34.9 ± 13.2 for men and 33.8 ± 12.5 for women). Fifty percent of the study participants were women; 32.1% were illiterate; and 19.8% came from the lowest wealth quintile. The mean stigma score was 18.6 for the general population, 20.5 for families, and 21.3 for TB patients. The general population of Addis Ababa (AOR: 0.1 [95% CI: 0.06-0.17]), those educated above secondary school (AOR: 0.58 [95% CI: 0.39-0.87]), and those with a high score for knowledge about TB (AOR: 0.62 [95% CI: 0.49-0.78]) had low stigma scores. Families of TB patients who attended above secondary school (AOR: 0.37 [95% CI: 0.23-0.61]) had low stigma scores. TB patients educated above secondary school (AOR: 0.61 [95% CI: 0.38-0.97]) had lower stigma scores, while those in the first (AOR: 1.93: 95% CI 1.05-3.57) and third quintiles (AOR: 1.81: 95% CI: 1.08-3.05) had stigma scores twice as high as those in the highest quintile. Fear of job loss (32.5%), isolation (15.3%), and feeling avoided (9.3%) affected disclosure about TB.

CONCLUSIONS

More than a third of Ethiopians have high scores for TB-related stigma, which were associated with educational status, poverty, and lack of awareness about TB. Stigma matters in TB prevention, care, and treatment and warrants stigma reduction interventions.

Geographic Accessibility, Readiness, and Barriers of Health Facilities to Offer Tuberculosis Services in East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia: A Convergent Parallel Design

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a foremost global public health threat. Active TB control needs geographically accessible health facilities that have quality diagnostics, equipment, supplies, medicines, and staff.

Objective

This study aimed at assessing the geographic distribution, physical accessibility, readiness and barriers of health facilities for TB services in East Gojjam zone, Ethiopia.

Methods

A convergent parallel design was applied using health facility and geographic data. Data on facility attributes, service availability and readiness were collected by inteviewing TB officers, laboratory heads and onsite facility visits. Coordinates of health facilities and kebele centroids were collected by GPS. We used ArcGIS 10.6 to measure Euclidean distance from each kebele centroids to the nearest health facility. Descriptive statistics were computed by using SPSS version 25. Barriers to TB service readiness were explored by in-depth interviews. NVivo12 was used to thematically analyze the qualitative data.

Results

The overall TB health service coverage (THSC) was 23% (ranging: 10–85%). The mean distance from the nearest health facility was 8km (ranging: 0.5–16km). About 132 (32%) kebeles had poor geographic accessibility to TB services (over 10km distance from the nearest health facility) and had poor facility readiness. Although 114 (95%) health facilities offered at least one TB service, 44 (38.6%) of them had no sputum smear microscopy. The overall TB readiness index was 63.5%: first-line anti-TB drugs (97%), diagnostics (63%), trained staffs, diagnostic and treatment guidelines (53%) and laboratory supplies (41%). Lack of health workers (laboratory personnel), inadequate budget, poor management practice and TB program support, inadequate TB commodity suppliers, and less accessible geographic locations of health facilities were identified as barriers to TB service readiness distribution.

Conclusion

Considerable proportion of the population in the study area  have poor access to quality TB diagnostic services due to low THSC and poor facility readiness. Barriers to TB service availability and readiness were health system related. Regular refresher training of health workers on TB, creating mechanisms to attract laboratory personnel to work in the study area and scaling up of sputum smear microscopy services, establishing an efficient mechanism for procurement, distribution, utilization and reporting of TB commodity supplies, and good management practices are crucial to enhance TB service readiness in the study zone.

Factors Associated with Health-Seeking Preference Among People Who Were Supposed to Cough for More Than 2 Weeks: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southeast China

BACKGROUND

The health-seeking preference of people with a cough >2 weeks had not been extensively researched in southeast China. The study aimed to explore factors associated with health-seeking preference, which could provide more evidence to improve individuals' appropriate health-seeking behavior.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From October 2018 to December 2018, this cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhejiang, China. A questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of tuberculosis (TB), and health-seeking preference. The chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were performed to evaluate factors associated with health-seeking preference.

RESULTS

Of the 7174 participants, 3321 (46.3%) were men, 6148 (85.7%) were married, and 6013 (83.8%) knew about TB. Appropriate health-seeking preference was reported by 6229 (86.8%) participants. Respondents knowing about TB were more likely to seek appropriate care than those did not (89.6% vs 72.4%, p<0.001). Of the 6013 participants knowing about TB, respondents with higher scores on five key items of TB knowledge were more likely to get appropriate health-seeking preference. About 805 (96.6%) participants with 5 scores on TB knowledge had appropriate care preference. Only 97 (72.4%) participants with a score of 0 reported an appropriate preference. Multivariable logistic regression showed residence, marital status, education level, occupation, and awareness of TB knowledge were predictors of appropriate health-seeking preference. Compared to participants with a score of 0 on five TB key knowledge, participants with a score of 5 were 8.57 times more likely to have appropriate health-seeking preference (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.97-14.78), followed by a score of 4 (odds ratio [OR]=5.99, 95% CI, 3.23-8.03); 3 (OR=3.74, 95% CI, 2.44-5.74); 2 (OR=1.99, 95% CI, 1.30-3.02) and 1 (OR=1.17, 95% CI, 0.76-1.80).

CONCLUSION

Participants with little knowledge of TB had a low level of appropriate health-seeking preference. Appropriate health-seeking preference of the participants improved with increased key knowledge level of TB.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Prevention Practices of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

The aim of this study was to assess community members' knowledge and awareness levels, attitudes, and practices of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. A quantitative descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The sample size consisted of four hundred (400) respondents aged 18 years and above on their last birthday who were purposively and conveniently selected from Port Elizabeth area in the Nelson Mandela Municipality. Data were collected using close-ended questions, which were administered by the researcher and two research assistants to the selected respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results of this study show poor knowledge and awareness levels, unfavourable attitudes, but good prevention practices of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis among Port Elizabeth community members. This study also found a statistically significant association between knowledge and attitudes (p value = <0.001), and no statistically significant association between knowledge and practices and attitude and practices, respectively (p values = 0.120 and 0.136). The study also revealed low literacy levels, inadequate information, misconceptions and erroneous beliefs about causes, transmission, prevention, treatment, and management of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis among the respondents. This study also highlighted the use and existence of dual healthcare system (traditional spiritual and western).The study found that the main source of Drug Resistant TB information was radio and television among the majority of research respondents. It is recommended that in future health education interventions and awareness campaigns need to be intensified in the area so that misconceptions and erroneous beliefs that exist in society can be addressed. It is also recommended that training programs that are culturally sensitive should be developed and delivered taking into account different languages and literacy levels that exist in society. Such education interventions should be facilitated in collaboration with people living with Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. A multidisciplinary approach should be fostered and collaborations with spiritual healers and various congregational leaders, traditional health practitioners, community leaders, and government leaders in the health sector should be promoted in order to deal with Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. It is also recommended that a similar study be conducted using a qualitative research approach in urban and rural areas of the Eastern Cape. Lastly, assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of spiritual and traditional healers with regard to Drug Resistant Tuberculosis should be conducted as they can influence health-seeking behaviour.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to TB among the general population of Ethiopia: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey

INTRODUCTION

Ethiopia is among the high-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB), TB/HIV, and drug-resistant TB. The aim of this nationwide study was to better understand TB-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) and generate evidence for policy and decision-making.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional TB KAP survey in seven regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia. Eighty kebeles (wards) and 40 health centers were randomly selected for the study. Using systematic sampling, 22 households and 11 TB patients were enrolled from each selected village and health center, respectively. Variables with a value of p = < 0.25 were included in the model for logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of 3,503 participants, 884 (24.4%), 836 (24.1%), and 1,783 (51.5%) were TB patients, families of TB patients, and the general population, respectively. The mean age was 34.3 years, and 50% were women. Forty-six percent were heads of households, 32.1% were illiterate, 20.3% were farmers, and 19.8% were from the lowest quintile. The majority (95.5%) had heard about TB, but only 25.8% knew that TB is caused by bacteria. Cough or sneezing was reported as the commonest means of TB transmission. The majority (85.3%) knew that TB could be cured. Men, better-educated people, and TB patients and their families have higher knowledge scores. Of 2,483 participants, 96% reported that they would go to public health facilities if they developed TB symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Most Ethiopians have a high level of awareness about TB and seek care in public health facilities, and communities are generally supportive. Inadequate knowledge about TB transmission, limited engagement of community health workers, and low preference for using community health workers were the key challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

Given misconceptions about TB's causes, low preference for use of community health workers, and inadequate engagement, targeted health education interventions are required to improve TB services.

Moving from fear to realization: Family engagement in tuberculosis prevention in children living in tuberculosis Sundanese households in Indonesia

OBJECTIVE

Children living in tuberculosis households need protection. However, families need to be engaged to prevent tuberculosis transmission to children. This study aimed to analyze the details of "moving from fear to realization," which is one category of a substantive theory of family engagement in tuberculosis prevention in children.

METHODS

Fourteen family caregivers participated as key informants after their families met the criteria. The participants were recruited at a lung clinic in West Java, Indonesia and followed up at their homes. The data were gathered using in-depth interviews and analyzed following the coding procedures of the Straussian grounded theory.

FINDINGS

"Moving from fear to realization" was the main category that emerged from the experiences of the Sundanese families to begin engaging in tuberculosis prevention in children living in tuberculosis households. It was composed of four sub-categories, namely, fear of tuberculosis, seeking information, following God's will, and awareness of tuberculosis transmission risks.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed how a family moves from fear to the realization of tuberculosis transmission risks. Its findings are useful for nurses to provide optimum care in order to prevent tuberculosis transmission to children with household contact by providing both education and counseling for families.

Tuberculosis-related stigma contributing to a 'hidden' disease at autopsy

A 29-year-old African immigrant to Australia was found dead in bed. She had no known medical history, except for recent weight loss and hip/leg pain. Autopsy examination revealed extensive tuberculous consolidation with widespread cavitation of the lungs, with multiple caseating granulomas containing large numbers of acid fast bacilli on histology. Similar granulomas were also present in lymph nodes of the porta hepatis, mediastinum and pulmonary hilum, and within the liver, spleen and mesentery. Mycobacterial polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed tuberculous infection. Her serum was negative for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Death was due to disseminated tuberculosis. In many parts of Africa, there are negative cultural associations attached to tuberculosis, which often leads to a delay in diagnosis. The case demonstrates the extent of active disease that may be uncovered at autopsy in decedents from societies where tuberculosis is stigmatised and therefore concealed. It also emphasises the risk of infection for forensic workers.

Knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis among clients visiting public health facilities

Objective

The aim of the study was to assess knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis.

Result

More than half of the study participants stated that bacteria are responsible agents in causing tuberculosis and as the same time 12.2% study participants thought that tuberculosis is not preventable disease. Overall, 54% of study participants had good knowledge, 68% had good attitude but only 48% had good practice in preventing tuberculosis. Compared to many national and international studies, knowledge, attitude and preventive practice towards tuberculosis was not satisfactory. Strengthening of awareness creation and health education program towards tuberculosis is needed.

Delay in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Amhara state, Ethiopia

Background

Delayed presentation is a major problem contributing to the high burden and transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries. The delay may be due to patient delay if the patient visits health-facility for diagnosis after the onset of symptoms of more than 3 weeks or health system delay if the patient is not diagnosed and treated at the time of the first visit. Ethiopia, where no more than two-thirds of TB cases are detected is no exception. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess delay in diagnosis of tuberculosis among patients taking anti-TB treatment in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia.

Methods

Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from 01 to 30 December 2017. All TB patients who took their treatment in the health facilities of the seven selected districts of North Shoa Zone were included. Data was entered into EPI INFO version 3.5.1 statistical software and transferred into SPSS version 20.0 for further analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was used to identify associated factors for delayed TB diagnosis.

Results

Out of 170 tuberculosis patients included, 162 patients were studied with a response rate of 95.3%. The proportion of tuberculosis patients who had delayed diagnosis was 59.9%. The mean time of health-seeking after developing the symptom of tuberculosis was 7.6 weeks. Tuberculosis patients with extra pulmonary site involvements were about four times more likely to be delayed in seeking health services (OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 1.77–9.03) as compared to patients with pulmonary TB. New patients were about three times more likely to come lately for TB diagnosis (OR: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.26–6.84) as compared to patients who had previous-history of treatment. Patients who had no information about TB before they started TB treatment were also around three times to be delayed (OR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.43–8.00) as compared to those who had the information.

Conclusions

More than 50% of TB patients reported in health-seeking relatively a longer time. Strengthening the health education activities for the community about tuberculosis and capacity building of the health care provider to increase suspicion of identifying tuberculosis and early diagnosis is crucial.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4056-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Community Knowledge about Tuberculosis and Perception about Tuberculosis-Associated Stigma in Pakistan

Tuberculosis- (TB) associated stigma is a well-documented phenomenon with various factors, both individual and societal, manifesting its role in shaping health-seeking behavior and contributing to suboptimal TB care in Pakistan. The objective of this study was to assess TB-related knowledge and perceived stigma among community members. This was a cross-sectional survey using a convenience sample of 183 individuals recruited between October and December 2017. A validated stigma measurement tool developed by Van Rie et al. was adapted. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. A clear majority was aware that TB is curable disease and that it is transmitted by coughing. However, respondents also thought that TB spread through contaminated food, sharing meals, sharing utensils, and by having sexual intercourse with a TB patient. In addition, females, unemployed, and persons having less than six years of education were also more likely to associate stigma with TB. We found an association between the lack of knowledge about TB and perceived stigma. This study highlights the need for improved TB-related education among communities.