Das Anisha, Lakhan Tejal, Unisa Sayeed
Department of Statistics and Biostatistics, Florida State University, USA.
Department of Bio-statistics and Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.
J Infect Prev. 2021 Nov;22(6):259-268. doi: 10.1177/17571774211012777. Epub 2021 Jun 22.
Understanding the perceptions of patients regarding tuberculosis (TB) will enable better design of a comprehensive, client-oriented program for the disease.
This study was conducted district-wise across India in 2015-2016 as part of the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS).
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.
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.
了解患者对结核病的认知将有助于更好地设计针对该疾病的全面、以患者为导向的项目。
作为全国家庭健康调查（NFHS）的一部分，2015 - 2016年在印度各地区开展了本研究。
我们发现结核病的患病率仍然很高，相当大比例的人不知道疾病传播的确切原因。大多数人认为接触或共用器具可能是结核病的一个来源。这种认知影响了参与者关于寻求诊断和治疗的回答。然而，一个好的迹象是，大多数人知道结核病是一种可治愈的疾病，如果在正确阶段接种卡介苗（BCG）疫苗，在一定程度上是可以预防的。所以，很大一部分人口为他们的孩子接种了疫苗。此外，如果他们有提示该疾病的症状，就会去寻求诊断。
本研究结果表明，大量人群意识到卫生设施对结核病治疗可做出重大贡献。有必要进一步调查如何利用这些信息来促进结核病患者更早地寻求适当服务。
