Perceptions of Adolescents and Health Workers Towards Adolescents' TB Diagnosis in Central Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study.
adolescent TB
adolescent friendly TB services
adolescent health
school schedules
Journal
Risk management and healthcare policy
ISSN: 1179-1594
Titre abrégé: Risk Manag Healthc Policy
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101566264
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2021
2021
Historique:
received:
18
09
2021
accepted:
16
11
2021
entrez:
8
12
2021
pubmed:
9
12
2021
medline:
9
12
2021
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Prompt diagnosis of TB among adolescents may reduce transmission and improve individual outcomes. However, TB diagnosis in adolescents is challenging. This study sought to understand challenges to adolescent TB diagnosis. We conducted qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs) to explore adolescents' and health workers' perspectives on challenges to TB diagnosis among adolescents seeking care at four secondary health care facilities in Uganda. Eight FGDs were conducted: four with 32 adolescents consulting for medical care and four with 34 health workers involved in TB care. Adolescents were aware of TB and associated risk factors and believed behaviours like smoking and alcohol use are risk factors for TB. They reported school schedules limit them from seeking TB care and have to miss school or wait for holidays to seek TB diagnosis. They noted school nurses do not take much interest in diagnosing TB and do not refer them to hospitals for further evaluation when they present with TB symptoms. Furthermore, adolescents reported cross-cutting issues like loss of trust in public health systems, encountering unfriendly, judgmental and uncooperative health workers. Health workers mentioned the school environment exposes adolescents to TB as the dormitories they sleep in are overcrowded. They indicated that it was difficult to make a diagnosis of TB in adolescents as the adolescents do not disclose health information. They reported fellow health workers perceive adolescents as being at low risk of TB as they believe most often adolescents are HIV negative and thus have reduced risk of TB. Adolescents present unique challenges that need to be addressed if TB diagnosis is to improve. These challenges could be handled by interventions that lead to minimal disruptions on school schedules, provision of adolescent-friendly services and intervention to build capacity of health care workers in the provision of adolescent-friendly services.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34876864
doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S340112
pii: 340112
pmc: PMC8643211
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
4823-4832Informations de copyright
© 2021 Muttamba et al.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
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