Gender Differences in Factors Associated with the Total Delay in Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Selangor, Malaysia

: Gender plays a significant role in health-care-seeking behavior for many diseases. Delays in seeking treatment, diagnosis, and treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (pTB) may increase the risk of transmission in the community and lead to poorer treatment outcomes and mortality. This study explores...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-05, Vol.19 (10), p.6258
Main Authors: Chee Cheong, Kee, Mohd Ghazali, Sumarni, Md Zamri, Ahmed Syahmi Syafiq, Cheong, Yoon Ling, Md Iderus, Nuur Hafizah, Nagalingam, Tharmarajah, Ruslan, Qistina, Omar, Mohd Azahadi, Yusoff, Ahmad Faudzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data collection
Delay
Diagnosis
Employment
Female
Gender
Gender aspects
Gender differences
Health care
Health care facilities
Health facilities
Health services
Hospital facilities
Hospitals
Humans
Infertility
Knowledge
Laboratories
Malaysia - epidemiology
Male
Medical treatment
Patients
Questionnaires
Sex differences
Sex Factors
Signs and symptoms
Stigma
Time Factors
Time-to-Treatment
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - diagnosis
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - drug therapy
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - epidemiology
Weight loss
Womens health
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Summary:: Gender plays a significant role in health-care-seeking behavior for many diseases. Delays in seeking treatment, diagnosis, and treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (pTB) may increase the risk of transmission in the community and lead to poorer treatment outcomes and mortality. This study explores the differences in factors associated with the total delay in treatment of male and female pTB patients in Selangor, Malaysia. : A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2017. Newly diagnosed pTB patients (≥18 years) were recruited from selected government health clinics and hospitals in Selangor during the specified study period. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, knowledge about pTB, stigma, distance to the nearest health facility, and chronology of pTB symptom onset, diagnosis, and treatment. The total delay was measured as the length of time between the onset of pTB symptoms to treatment initiation. Factors significantly associated with a longer total delay among men and women were identified using binary logistic regression. : A total of 732 patients (61.5% men, 38.5% women) were enrolled in the study. The median total delay was 60 days. Men who have weight loss as a symptom (AOR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.10-2.41) and are employed (1.89, 1.15-3.11) were more likely to have a longer total delay, while those who know others who have had pTB (0.64, 0.43-0.96) were less likely to have a longer total delay. On the other hand, among women, having a stigma towards TB (0.52, 0.32-0.84) and obtaining a pTB diagnosis at the first medical consultation (0.48, 0.29-0.79) were associated with a shorter total delay. : Factors associated with the total delay in pTB treatment were different for male and female pTB patients. Increasing awareness of pTB symptoms and the importance of seeking early medical consultation and a prompt diagnosis among the general public may reduce total delay in pTB treatment.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19106258