Using intersectional gender analysis to identify challenges in tuberculosis care at four health care facilities in Uganda.

Gender Intersectionality Masculinity Tuberculosis

Journal

Infectious diseases of poverty
ISSN: 2049-9957
Titre abrégé: Infect Dis Poverty
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101606645

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
05 Jan 2024
Historique:
received: 04 09 2023
accepted: 21 12 2023
medline: 5 1 2024
pubmed: 5 1 2024
entrez: 4 1 2024
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Tuberculosis (TB) care could be considered as a continuum from symptom recognition, decision to seek care, diagnosis, treatment initiation and treatment completion, with care along the continuum influenced by several factors. Gender dimensions could influence TB care, and indeed, more men than women are diagnosed with TB each year. The study was done to identify social stratifiers that intersect with gender to influence TB care. A cross-sectional qualitative study was done at four health facilities in 3 districts in central Uganda between October 2020 and December 2020. Data was collected from patients seeking a diagnosis or on TB treatment through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Key themes around gender guided by a gender and intersectionality lens were developed and thereafter thematic content analysis was done. Women have increased vulnerability to TB due to bio mass exposure through roles like cooking. Women have increased access to health care services as they interface with the health care system frequently given their role as child bearers and child care givers. Men have a duty to provide for their families and this most often is prioritised over healthcare seeking, and together with belief that they are powerful beings leads to poor healthcare seeking habits and delays in healthcare seeking. Decisions on when and where to seek care were not straightforward for women, who most often rely on their husbands/partners to make decisions. Men and women experience challenges to TB care, and that these challenges are deeply rooted in roles assigned to them and further compounded by masculinity. These challenges need to be addressed through intersectional gender responsive interventions if TB control is to be improved.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis (TB) care could be considered as a continuum from symptom recognition, decision to seek care, diagnosis, treatment initiation and treatment completion, with care along the continuum influenced by several factors. Gender dimensions could influence TB care, and indeed, more men than women are diagnosed with TB each year. The study was done to identify social stratifiers that intersect with gender to influence TB care.
METHODS METHODS
A cross-sectional qualitative study was done at four health facilities in 3 districts in central Uganda between October 2020 and December 2020. Data was collected from patients seeking a diagnosis or on TB treatment through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Key themes around gender guided by a gender and intersectionality lens were developed and thereafter thematic content analysis was done.
RESULTS RESULTS
Women have increased vulnerability to TB due to bio mass exposure through roles like cooking. Women have increased access to health care services as they interface with the health care system frequently given their role as child bearers and child care givers. Men have a duty to provide for their families and this most often is prioritised over healthcare seeking, and together with belief that they are powerful beings leads to poor healthcare seeking habits and delays in healthcare seeking. Decisions on when and where to seek care were not straightforward for women, who most often rely on their husbands/partners to make decisions.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
Men and women experience challenges to TB care, and that these challenges are deeply rooted in roles assigned to them and further compounded by masculinity. These challenges need to be addressed through intersectional gender responsive interventions if TB control is to be improved.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38178248
doi: 10.1186/s40249-023-01171-3
pii: 10.1186/s40249-023-01171-3
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

2

Informations de copyright

© 2024. The Author(s).

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Auteurs

Winters Muttamba (W)

Makerere University Lung Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. muttamba@gmail.com.
Division of Infection and Global Health, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK. muttamba@gmail.com.

Samson Omongot (S)

Makerere University Lung Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Irene Najjingo (I)

Makerere University Lung Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Roseline Nuwarinda (R)

Infectious Disease Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Esther Buregyeya (E)

School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Mariam Otmani Del Barrio (MO)

UNICEF, UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

Rosemary Morgan (R)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Bruce Kirenga (B)

Makerere University Lung Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Sarah Ssali (S)

School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Classifications MeSH