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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Care seeking and attitudes towards treatment compliance by newly enrolled tuberculosis patients in the district treatment programme in rural western Kenya: A qualitative study
BMC Public Health, Volume 11, Article 515, Year 2011
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Description
Background: The two issues mostly affecting the success of tuberculosis (TB) control programmes are delay in presentation and non-adherence to treatment. It is important to understand the factors that contribute to these issues, particularly in resource limited settings, where rates of tuberculosis are high. The objective of this study is to assess health-seeking behaviour and health care experiences among persons with pulmonary tuberculosis, and identify the reasons patients might not complete their treatment. Methods. We performed qualitative one-on-one in-depth interviews with pulmonary tuberculosis patients in nine health facilities in rural western Kenya. Thirty-one patients, 18 women and 13 men, participated in the study. All reside in an area of western Kenya with a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). They had attended treatment for up to 4 weeks on scheduled TB clinic days in September and October 2005. The nine sites all provide diagnostic and treatment services. Eight of the facilities were public (3 hospitals and 5 health centres) and one was a mission health centre. Results: Most patients initially self-treated with herbal remedies or drugs purchased from kiosks or pharmacies before seeking professional care. The reported time from initial symptoms to TB diagnosis ranged from 3 weeks to 9 years. Misinterpretation of early symptoms and financial constraints were the most common reasons reported for the delay. We also explored potential reasons that patients might discontinue their treatment before completing it. Reasons included being unaware of the duration of TB treatment, stopping treatment once symptoms subsided, and lack of family support. Conclusions: This qualitative study highlighted important challenges to TB control in rural western Kenya, and provided useful information that was further validated in a quantitative study in the same area. © 2011 Ayisi et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ayisi, John G.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Medical Research Institute
Kenya, Nairobi
Ministry of Education
van 't Hoog, Anna H.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Medical Research Institute
Netherlands, Amsterdam
Universiteit Van Amsterdam
Agaya, Janet A.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Medical Research Institute
McHembere, Walter
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Medical Research Institute
Nyamthimba, Peter O.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Medical Research Institute
Muhenje, Odylia
Kenya, Kisumu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya
Marston, Barbara J.
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics
Citations: 89
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/1471-2458-11-515
e-ISSN:
14712458
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Approach
Qualitative
Quantitative
Study Locations
Kenya
Participants Gender
Male
Female