Exploration of the knowledge about and attitude towards tuberculosis among non-TB infected attendees at a Cape Town community clinic
Semegni, Chanceline Kwakep epse (2012-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) continues to rank among the world’s most serious problems despite biomedical achievement of effective prophylaxis and chemotherapy. In South Africa, TB is directly linked to the country’s high HIV prevalence rate and other related factors. The required knowledge, as well as people’s attitude towards a better understanding of TB are prerequisites for motivating them to seek early treatment.
This study aims to explore the knowledge about and attitude towards TB among non- TB infected clinic attendees. More specifically, this study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore and describe clinic attendees’ knowledge of the cause, symptoms and treatment of TB and to explore their attitude towards the disease. A semi-structured interview technique was used to gather data. Ten clinic attendees between 20-40 years old, able to communicate in English and who had no past history of TB were conveniently sampled. Manual data analysis was done using an inductive approach. Thereafter, a deductive approach using the Health Belief Model was used to guide the discussion of the findings.
Nine major themes were identified. The results confirm a gap in participants’ knowledge of the cause, symptoms and treatment of TB. Despite these gaps participants perceived that they were susceptible to TB, the dangers TB could cause and the benefits of completing the treatment. Participants indicated that they would seek medical help if they experienced TB symptoms. However, their fear was their ignorance of TB symptoms on the one hand and the fear of being stigmatized, discriminated against, as well as the quality of health service deliveries on the other hand.
The findings highlight the need for on-going education about the cause of TB, transmission, symptoms and treatment at clinics and within the community. Media including radio, television, as well as schools and family should be included in TB education programmes. Immigrants should also be targeted to be included in TB education campaigns.
Keys terms: Tuberculosis, Non-TB infected patients, Knowledge and attitude, Health Belief Model.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mycobacterium Tuberkulose (TB) word steeds gekenmerk as een van die ernstigste gesondheidsprobleme ter wệreld, ten spyte van deurbrake met betrekking tot meer doeltreffende profilakse en chemoterapie. In Suid-Afrika, word TB direk gekoppel aan die land se hoë voorkoms van MIV en ander verwante faktore. Die nodige kennis, sowel as ‘n beter begrip van mense se gesindhede teenoor TB, is voorvereistes vir die motivering wat hulle gedrag sal beïnvloed om vir vroeë behandeling te gaan.
Hierdie studie het ten doel om die kennis en gesindhede teenoor tuberkulose van ongeïnfekteerde TB-pasiënte in ‘n Kaapstadse kliniek te ondersoek. In die besonder ondersoek die studie, deur ‘n kwalitatiewe beskrywende benadering, die kennis van ‘n spesifieke groep individue wat die kliniek besoek, met betrekking tot die oorsake, simptome en behandeling van TB, asook hulle houding ten opsigte van die siekte. Die studie beklemtoon ook enige vooroordele oor die siekte en identifiseer moontlike redes vir pasiënte se laat-aanmelding van TB by ‘n kliniek.
‘n Semi-gestruktureerde tegniek vir onderhoudvoering is gebruik. Tien pasiënte wat die kliniek besoek tussen die ouderdomme 20-40 jaar oud, wat in staat is om in Engels te kommunikeer, en wat geen vroeëre geskiedenis van TB het nie, is gerieflikheidshalwe per steekproef gebruik. Data is per hand versamel deur gebruik te maak van ‘n induktiewe benadering. Hierna is ‘n deduktiewe benadering gevolg, en die “Health Belief Model” is gebruik om die gesprekke te lei in die bevindinge.
Nege hooftemas is geïdentifiseer. Die resultate bevestig ‘n gaping in die kennis van deelnemers oor die oorsake, simptome en behandeling van TB. Ten spyte van die gapings, was deelnemers wel bewus van die feit dat hulle blootgestel is om TB op te doen en oor wat die gevare is wat deur TB veroorsaak kan word, sowel as wat die voordele is om TB-behandeling te voltooi. Deelnemers het aangedui dat hulle mediese hulp sal vra, sou hulle die simptome van TB bespeur. Desnieteenstaande was hulle vrees enersyds oor die onkundigheid van die simptome van TB, en om gestigmatiseer teen gediskrimineer te word, asook die standaard van mediese dienste beskikbaar andersyds.
Die bevindinge beklemtoon die behoefte aan voortgesette opvoeding oor die oorsake, oordrag, simptome en behandeling van TB in klinieke en binne gemeenskappe. Media soos radio en televisie, asook skole en families behoort ingesluit te word in sodanige opvoedingsprogramme. Immigrante behoort ook ingesluit te word by massa opvoedingsprojekte.
Sleutelterme: Tuberkulose, ongeïnfekteerde TB-pasiënte, Kennis en gesindhede, “Health Belief Model”.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71730