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068 |
PREVALENCE OF CHEST SYMPTOMS AND ACTION TAKEN BY
SYMPTOMATICS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY |
Radha Narayan, Susy Thomas, S Pramila Kumari, S Prabhakar,
AN Ramaprakash, T Suresh & N Srikantaramu: Indian J TB 1976,
23, 160-68. |
A study was conducted in 55 randomly selected villages
of Nelamangala taluk, Bangalore district in 1975 (1) to estimate
the prevalence of symptoms in the general population during the
two months prior to the epidemiological survey, (2) to study the
nature of action taken by these symptomatics and, (3) to find out
through sputum examination as to how many of them suffer from pulmonary
tuberculosis. The entire population was interviewed and sputum was
collected from those aged five years and above having symptoms continuously
for seven days and more. A coverage of 98.8% was obtained. Symptomatics
among the directly interviewed were almost double (32.3%) of those
who had to be interviewed by proxy (16.8%). Proportion of symptomatics
were higher in the age groups twenty years and above. 24.8% were
symptomatic during the reference period of two months and 16.7%
had symptoms on the day of interview. ll.1% were found to have chest
symptoms. The prevalence rate of tuberculosis was found to be 21
per 1000, (for males 28 and females 14). Cough was the most prevalent
and the symptom of longest duration.
The findings suggest that symptoms questioning
should focus more on cough and its combination with other symptoms.
Symptoms questioning as a tool to detect cases has less potential
than X-ray, but data reveal that leading questions can elicit more
information on symptoms and action taking. The manner of action
taking was the same for chest symptoms as for other symptoms and
the proportion taking action is also the same for males and females.
Government health facilities are found to be the most important
source of relief, indigenous medicine having some importance marked
second and the private practitioners ranking only third.
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KEY WORDS: SYMPTOMS, ACTION TAKING, RURAL POPULATION. |
070 |
A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF AWARENESS OF SYMPTOMS AND
ACTION TAKING OF PERSONS WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS (A RESURVEY) |
Radha Narayan, S Prabhakar, Susy Thomas, S Pramila
Kumari, T Suresh & N Srikantaramu: Indian J TB 1979, 26, 136-46. |
A study on awareness of symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis
and action taking was repeated in the 62 villages and 4 town blocks
of Tumkur district of Karnataka after an interval of 12 years. In
the earlier study, 2106 persons formed the study population. In
the present study, 1752 were intaken to obtain a comparison of these
1752 intaken persons who were eligible for interview, 875 were X-ray
positive and 877 X-ray normal (matched control).
The study showed that 95% of patients having radiologically
active tuberculosis by both X-ray readers, 70% by one reader, 49.5%
inactive by both readers, were aware of symptoms. According to the
bacteriological status 79.5% had symptoms among those who were sputum
positive by both microscopy and culture, 62.2% among those positive
by culture alone and 73.7% among patients sputum positive by any
method. Regarding action taking it was observed that 49.5% of the
bacteriologically positive patients took some action compared by
70% of those found to have radiologically active disease by both
X-ray readers. Thus action taking was higher among the latter category
in both the studies. It may be due to the fact that extent of lesions
are less advanced among those bacteriologically positive than among
those who were in radiologically positive stage.
The findings of the study are similar to the earlier
awareness study carried out in 1963 in the same area (Tumkur). This
also indicates that in spite of having advantage of DTP for a decade
actual and total benefits have not reached the people.
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KEY WORDS: SOCIAL AWARENESS, ACTION TAKING,
SYMPTOMS, RURAL POPULATION, URBAN POPULATION, INTERVIEW, CONTROL PROGRAMME. |
071 |
SYMPTOM AWARENESS AND ACTION TAKING OF PERSONS WITH
PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES SURVEYED REPEATEDLY TO
DETERMINE THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE |
Radha Narayan & N Srikantaramu: Indian J TB
1981, 28, 125-30. |
A longitudinal epidemiologic survey was carried
out in Nelamangala taluk of Bangalore district since 1961, to find
out prevalence of infection and disease of tuberculosis. During
V round of the survey 1977, after 16 years of the first round, it
was planned to study the awareness of symptoms and action taking
of persons in the community where repeated surveys consisting of
tuberculin, X-ray and sputum examinations had been carried out since
1961 and facilities for diagnosis and treatment were available since
1974. Fifty one persons aged 20 years and above, referred as X-ray
positives were interviewed by social investigators on a structured
questionnaire to elicit the awareness of symptoms and details of
action taken to seek relief.
Of the 51 satisfactorily interviewed, 41 (80.4%)
had symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis, of the 20 bacteriologically
positive cases 19 (95%) were aware of symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis,
thus registering a higher percentage of awareness than the X-ray
positives. Of those with symptoms, 58.8% sought relief, many of
them at multiple agencies such as Govt. hospitals and private practitioners,
and some at tuberculosis hospitals, on being referred there. Most
had obtained services free of cost and appreciated the available
intrinsic benefits. Prior personal or family associations were the
main reasons for seeking the services of private practitioners.
Only 23% had gone to the nearest health facilities. Lack of proper
facilities for good treatment and preference to be treated at urban
centres, were the main reasons for not availing of the services
at the nearest health facilities.
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KEY WORDS: RURAL POPULATION, SYMPTOM AWARENESS,
FELT NEED, ACTION TAKING. |
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