Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients
This study investigated the factors influencing recourse to healthcare in a sample of 220 tuberculosis (TB) patients. Data collection was by means of face-to-face interviews. Patients sought help mainly from primary healthcare clinics (46%) and private doctors (40%). The mean patient delay was seve...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2005-01-01
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| Series: | Acta Academica |
| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/1047 |
| _version_ | 1827324393651437568 |
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| author | Zacheus Matebsi Herman Meulemans Christiane Timmerman |
| author_facet | Zacheus Matebsi Herman Meulemans Christiane Timmerman |
| author_sort | Zacheus Matebsi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This study investigated the factors influencing recourse to healthcare in a sample of 220 tuberculosis (TB) patients. Data collection was by means of face-to-face interviews. Patients sought help mainly from primary healthcare clinics (46%) and private doctors (40%). The mean patient delay was seven weeks, with only 21% of patients seeking professional healthcare within less than two weeks. The results show that lack of awareness of TB and use of a home remedy were significantly associated with a delay of longer than two weeks in seeking healthcare. These findings indicate an urgent need to educate communities on the signs and symptoms of TB, as well as the need to attend designated health facilities for early diagnosis and proper treatment.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:43:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d29acf6543904557be5cd8ddccf2146b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0587-2405 2415-0479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:13:17Z |
| publishDate | 2005-01-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Academica |
| spelling | doaj.art-d29acf6543904557be5cd8ddccf2146b2024-03-07T11:13:31ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Academica0587-24052415-04792005-01-011Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patientsZacheus Matebsi0Herman Meulemans1Christiane Timmerman2University of the Free StateUniversity of Antwerp, BelgiumUniversity of Antwerp, Belgium This study investigated the factors influencing recourse to healthcare in a sample of 220 tuberculosis (TB) patients. Data collection was by means of face-to-face interviews. Patients sought help mainly from primary healthcare clinics (46%) and private doctors (40%). The mean patient delay was seven weeks, with only 21% of patients seeking professional healthcare within less than two weeks. The results show that lack of awareness of TB and use of a home remedy were significantly associated with a delay of longer than two weeks in seeking healthcare. These findings indicate an urgent need to educate communities on the signs and symptoms of TB, as well as the need to attend designated health facilities for early diagnosis and proper treatment. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/1047 |
| spellingShingle | Zacheus Matebsi Herman Meulemans Christiane Timmerman Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients Acta Academica |
| title | Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients |
| title_full | Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients |
| title_short | Healthcare-seeking behaviour among clinic-based tuberculosis patients |
| title_sort | healthcare seeking behaviour among clinic based tuberculosis patients |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/1047 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zacheusmatebsi healthcareseekingbehaviouramongclinicbasedtuberculosispatients AT hermanmeulemans healthcareseekingbehaviouramongclinicbasedtuberculosispatients AT christianetimmerman healthcareseekingbehaviouramongclinicbasedtuberculosispatients |