Effect of social factors on tuberculosis patients: A comprehensive illness behaviour study

Abstract

Perception of illness has been found to vary with cultural, ethnicity, education, family structure and socioeconomic difference. The aim of the present study was to examine whether social factors can influence the illness behaviour of tuberculosis patients or not. The comparison was done by considering tuberculosis (TB) patients (Case, group I) with other respiratory disease patients (Control, group II) on the basis of illness behaviour questionnaire (IBQ) and search for possible differences between the two patient subgroups. Number of patients enrolled for the study was 164. Out of which, 82 patients were served as case (i.e. group I) and 82 patients as control (i.e. group II). The illness behaviour of tuberculosis patients were more in joint family (57.32%) as compared to nuclear family (42.68 %). The illness behaviour was found to be highest in crowding i.e. 3 people living in one room (34.15%). As tuberculosis is mostly prevalent in rural area, illness behaviour was also observed highest in rural area (31.71%). The illness behaviour was more in married patients (64.63 %) in comparison to unmarried patients (35.37 %). The outcome of the present study indicates that low socio-economic status has great influence to invite illness behaviour in tuberculosis. Therefore, illness behaviour must be considered during the treatment of tuberculosis patients. © 2010 IJRAP.