Barriers to tuberculosis control and prevention in undergraduates in Xi’an, China: A qualitative study

Abstract

To understand the barriers to tuberculosis (TB) control and prevention in undergraduate students and to propose the strategies to improve this work, we conducted in-depth interviews with three groups of individuals in infirmaries of universities and colleges, TB departments of district Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs), and undergraduates with TB. The study identified four major themes: inadequate workforce and less than optimal functioning of infirmaries and district TB control agencies; poor cooperation in the process of discovery, treatment, and surveillance of undergraduates with TB; poor acceptance of the national TB policy; and inadequate attention to TB prevention. Failure to carry out the national TB policy was the major barrier to TB control and prevention in undergraduates. TB control agencies should strengthen the implementation of the national TB policy.