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Table 6 Communities’ practice about TB in Shinile town, Somali regional state, eastern Ethiopia from January to May, 2013

From: Community knowledge, attitude, and practices towards tuberculosis in Shinile town, Somali regional state, eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Variables

Number (%) of male

Number (%) of female

Total number (%)

Who would you talk to about your illness if you had TB?

Doctor or other medical worker

145 (70.4)

127 (62.3)

272 (66.3)

Spouse

8 (3.9)

6 (2.9)

14 (3.4)

Parent

87 (42.2)

86 (42.2)

173 (42.2)

Close friend

44 (21.4)

40 (19.6)

84 (20.5)

No one

3 (1.5)

2 (1.0)

5 (1.2)

Other (religious leaders, elders, etc.)

34 (16.5)

30 (14.7)

64 (15.6)

What would you do if you thought you had symptoms of TB?

Go to health facility

151 (73.3)

140 (68.6)

291 (71.0)

Go to pharmacy

11 (5.3)

18 (8.8)

29 (7.1)

Go to traditional healers

39 (18.9)

33 (16.2)

72 (17.6)

Pursue self-treatment options (herbs, etc.).

66 (32.0)

66 (32.4)

132 (32.2)

Other (go to mosque, pray, etc.)

22 (10.7)

28 (13.7)

50 (12.2)

If you had symptoms of TB, at what point would you seek medical help?

When treatment on my own does not work

69 (33.5)

67 (32.8)

136 (33.1)

When TB symptoms last for 2 or more weeks

26 (12.6)

22 (10.8)

48 (11.7)

As soon as I realize TB symptoms

82 (39.8)

79 (38.7)

161 (39.3)

I would go to health facility or contact a doctor

10 (4.9)

8 (3.9)

18 (4.4)

I don’t know

19 (9.2)

28 (13.7)

47 (11.5)

If you would not go to the health facility, what is the reason?

Not sure where to go

9 (4.5)

6 (3.2)

15 (3.9)

Cost

12 (6.0)

12 (6.3)

24 (6.2)

Difficulties with transportation/distance

123 (61.8)

109 (57.4)

232 (59.6)

Do not trust medical workers

21 (10.6)

17 (9.0)

38 (9.8)

Do not like attitude of medical workers

11 (5.53)

9 (4.7)

20 (5.1)

Cannot leave my work (overlapping work hours with medical facility working hours)

17 (8.5)

11 (5.8)

28 (7.2)

Do not want to find that something is wrong

54 (27.1)

43 (22.6)

97 (24.9)

Other (no reason, etc.)

20 (10.1)

25 (13.2)

45 (11.6)