SOCIOLOGY <<Back
 
 
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.

KEY WORDS: RURAL POPULATION, SYMPTOM AWARENESS, FELT NEED, ACTION TAKING.
 

 
  OPERATIONS RESEARCH  
 
B : Programme Development
 
097
LONG TERM SOCIOLOGICAL FOLLOW UP OF SYMPTOM RECURRENCE AND ACTION TAKEN BY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS
Radha Narayan: Indian J Prev & Soc Med 1978, 9, 85-91.

Case-finding and treatment activities in the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) are mainly dependent on self reporting chest symptomatics. It was of main interest to find out that patients who report to the health institutions due to suffering remain symptom free later on or there is a recurrence of symptoms among sputum positive patients during 14 intervening years i.e., from 1961-1974. The follow up was carried out in 1974, in spite of such a long interval, information from 20.3% of the patients including dead was collected.

At the time of diagnosis in 1961 at LWC, 91.6% of patients had symptoms. During the total period from 1961 to the time of interview 7-16% had recurrence during each of the intervening years. Recall was possible because majority of them have taken action. But at the time of interview 29.7% reported to be having symptoms, of them nearly half had symptoms for more than 6 months. It is likely that during preceding years also there might have been a higher percentage of symptoms but the recall was poor. Considering the total duration of symptoms, 52% had experienced symptoms for more than 6 months.

KEY WORDS: SYMPTOMS, RECALL, CONTROL PROGRAMME, FELT NEED, ACTION TAKING.
 
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