Health Seeking Behavior of TB Patients with or without Family History of the Disease

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a major public health problem; Pakistan is ranked Fifth among the TB high burden countries. Good heath seeking behavior is very important for the diagnosis, treatment and control of the disease in the country. This study is conducted in a government hospital Kayyaban-e-Sir-Syed, Rawalpindi. The aim of the study was to identify the impact of family history of TB on health seeking behavioral of TB patients. Purposive sampling technique is used and the study population is divided into two groups: TB patients with family history of the TB, TB patients without family history of the TB.Here family history is linked with awareness and health seeking behavior with the knowledge, attitude and practices of the patients. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted from the registered TB patients. Patients belonging to the both groups were asked same questions. Interviews conducted from the TB patients were recorded, transcribed and then the qualitative data was analyzed using observations, conversational and textual analysis of data. Emerging themes from interviews was coded and analyzed with the respondents. Six major themes were emerged: Family history, Health seeking behavior, Treatment, Health education, Stigma, Diagnostic delay. Main finding under the themes were that TB patients with family history have comparatively good health seeking behavior, less diagnostic delay and more knowledge about the disease and the treatment than that of patients with no family history of the disease. The patients with the family history were more sensitized, knowledgeable, had better attitude towards the diagnosis and the seeking of the treatment and had good inclination towards healthy practices than that of patients with no family history of the TB. Role of the doctors is very important for improving the health seeking behavior of the patients. There is too much information about the pulmonary TB which is associated with lungs only but at the same time there is very less information about the extra pulmonary TB which can affect any part of the body. Most of the people believe that the TB is only associated with lungs. People should be educated about the extra pulmonary TB, in addition to this it should be brought to the notice of the doctors as well. The government and private hospitals need to disseminate the information about the TB for an adequate awareness of the patients, paramedics and the doctors. Knowledge regarding TB needs attention as still people get isolate themselves from their families due to TB. The TB stigma needs to be addressed with joint effort of the TB education program, media and mostly importantly the positive role of the families and co-workers. It is also very important to educate the patients on the infection control measures and cough etiquettes so that the TB spread is halted.