A study on care seeking behavior of chest symptomatics in a slum of Bankura, West Bengal.
A cross-sectional, community based study was undertaken in Patpur slum of Bankura to determine the prevalence of chest symptomatics, their health care seeking Behavior and its correlates. Prevalence of chest symptomatics (cough for 3 weeks or more) was found to be 5.5%, three fourths of whom sought relief from a health care provider. Among them, 70.8% did so within 2 weeks, median being 7 days. No preference for either government or private health care provider was seen in first visit, where the major reason for choosing facilities was advice by family & friends (43.8%). Most of the chest symptomatics (75%) were retained in the same facility. Shift from private to government facility for subsequent visits (33.3%) was higher than from government to private facility (16.7%). The main reason (50%) for changing health facility was expectation for better service.
Ghosh
Sreeparna
S
Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, India.
Sinhababu
Apurba
A
Taraphdar
Pranita
P
Mukhopadhyay
Dipta Kanti
DK
Mahapatra
Banamali Sinha
BS
Biswas
Akhil Bandhu
AB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006783:Hospitals, State; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult