Publication:

Socio demographic determinants of health care seeking behaviour among tuberculosis patients admitted in the isolation ward of tertiary care hospital: a health belief model

Background Health care seeking behavior explains that people differ in their willingness to seek help from  health  care services. It is difficult to identify which determinants are most influential in the decision to utilize health care. The health belief model proposes that a person's health-related behaviour depends on the person's perception in critical areas. The aims and objectives of the study was planned to determine the socio demographic factors of sputum positive tuberculosis patients and to assess the health care seeking behaviour of patients by health belief model.

Methods Cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on sputum positive tuberculosis patients above 15 years in Tuberculosis wards of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Ongole from April to September 2014.

Results Mean age group of the 100 participants was 48.89±5.93 years, 92% were males and 49.5% were labourers. Accessibility of the health care services was good in 95% of the cases, diagnostic tests and ATT treatment were accepting in good way by 71% of cases. In first contact, 36% of the cases contacted rural RMPs and 39% of the patients visited private practitioners. Symptoms of the tuberculosis were recognized by 20% of the patients and only 22% of them were perceived about the signs and symptoms. Significant association observed between the recognition of severity of symptoms and awareness on threat of tuberculosis among Tuberculosis patients (p<0.5).

Conclusions Heath education can be done by using the results of health belief model to increase awareness on perception, susceptibility, threat and understanding about the tuberculosis, there by patient’s intake of the drugs will be increased so that we can prevent chances of transmission of the disease.