Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: April | Volume: 13 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 217-222
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20230427
Health Seeking Behaviour and Sociodemographic Characteristics Among New Adult Tuberculosis Patients in Sonitpur District, Assam: A Cross Sectional Study
Praveen R1, Chinmayee Barthakur2, Ankur Phukan3, Rupali Baruah4
1Post graduate trainee, Department of Community Medicine, Tezpur Medical College, Assam
2Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Gauhati Medical college, Assam
3Assistant professor, Department of Community Medicine, Tezpur Medical College, Assam
4Professor & HOD, Department of Community Medicine, Tezpur Medical College, Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Assam, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Praveen R
ABSTRACT
Introduction: As India endeavours to eliminate TB by 2025, detection of TB cases plays a major role in marching towards that goal. Health seeking delay increases the TB burden as those who remain undetected spreads TB; hence it is essential to describe the pattern of health seeking behaviour and socio-demographic profile of the TB patients.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study conducted among new adult TB patient 18 years and above registered in government health facilities of sonitpur district, Assam. Health seeking delay, the first place of care seeking, Reason for the delay and socio demographic characteristics was collected by a pre tested and structured schedule, entered in MS excel and analysed in epi-info.
Results: 54% reported health seeking delay, 42% pharmacy as first place of health seeking and 70% had misperception of TB symptoms to be mild and will resolve by self-medication.
Conclusion: More than half of the study participants reported health seeking delay implying a poor knowledge of TB symptoms requiring improvement of health literacy and active involvement of pharmacy workers and traditional medicine healers in TB case detection.
Key words: [Tuberculosis, Health seeking, Socio-demography, Assam, Sonitpur]