Sustaining togetherness; family engagement in tuberculosis prevention in children living in tuberculosis households in Indonesia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Preventing tuberculosis (TB) in children needs the family to be engaged; however, limited studies about how the family engages in TB prevention. AIM: This aimed of study was to develop the process of family engagement in TB prevention for children with household contact of TB patient. METHODS: Guided by Straussian grounded theory, we developed a substantive theory from 14 primary caregivers in West Java-Indonesia as the key participants of families whose child ≤5 years old received TB screening and preventive therapy, and have had an adult in the household with active TB diagnosis. Data were collected by in-depth interviews and analyzed by coding procedures. RESULTS: Sustaining togetherness aimed to maintain the children’s health, which underpinned three main stages that consisted of “moving from fear to realization,” “making the family’s collective decision,” and “holding on together.” CONCLUSION: Implications for nursing practice in providing optimum care of preventing TB among children through engagement of family.