Abstract
IntroductionTuberculosis awareness is crucial to the success of control and prevention of tuberculosis. However, the knowledge and perceptions of tuberculosis patients in rural Kenya is not well documented. The study sought to explore the knowledge and perceptions of TB patients in West Pokot County Kenya.MethodsThis was a qualitative descriptive study conducted between January-March 2016. A total of 61 pulmonary tuberculosis patients took part in the study which comprised 6 focus group discussion and 15 in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsParticipants perceived TB as a serious contagious disease that is hard to diagnose and treat. They attributed tuberculosis to smoking, drinking alcohol, dust, cold air, witchcraft, trauma to the chest, contact with livestock and genetic factors. They believed that TB was transmitted through casual contact with TB patients and sharing of utensils.ConclusionThe study showed a lot of misperceptions among tuberculosis patients. The tuberculosis program should heighten patient education to improve patient knowledge and put more effort to dispel misinformation about the cause and mode of transmission of the disease.
Highlights
Tuberculosis awareness is crucial to the success of control and prevention of tuberculosis
The author argues that patients with low knowledge about TB are less likely to seek healthcare and get diagnosed rather they often turn to selfmedication and traditional healers which lead to delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment [16]
Participants attributed the cause of TB to genetic factors, drinking alcohol and smoking, cold air, trauma, dusty environment as well as bad omens while sharing of utensils and casual contact were seen as the main routes of transmitting TB
Summary
Tuberculosis awareness is crucial to the success of control and prevention of tuberculosis. Results: Participants perceived TB as a serious contagious disease that is hard to diagnose and treat They attributed tuberculosis to smoking, drinking alcohol, dust, cold air, witchcraft, trauma to the chest, contact with livestock and genetic factors. Several studies have shown that dearth of knowledge about the etiology, cardinal symptoms, route of transmission as well as appropriate treatment of TB may lead to delayed or inappropriate health-seeking practices, sustaining the transmission of the disease within the community [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. The study sought to assess the knowledge and perception of TB among TB patients in 4 health facilities in West Pokot County, Kenya
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