title: Tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes and health-seeking behaviour in rural Uganda.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess tuberculosis (TB) knowledge, attitudes and health-seeking behaviour to inform the design of communication and social mobilisation interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Iganga/Mayuge Demographic Surveillance Site, Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June and July 2008, 18 focus group discussions and 12 key informant interviews were conducted, including parents of infants and adolescents and key informant interviews with community leaders, traditional healers and patients with TB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People viewed TB as contagious, but not necessarily an airborne pathogen. Popular TB aetiologies included sharing utensils, heavy labour, smoking, bewitchment and hereditary transmission. TB patients were perceived to seek care late or to avoid care. Combining care from traditional healers and the biomedical system was common. Poverty, drug stock-outs, fear of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and length of TB treatment negatively affect health-seeking behaviour. Stigma and avoidance of persons with TB often reflects an assumption of HIV co-infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The community's concerns about pill burden, quality of care, financial barriers, TB aetiology, stigma and preference for pluralistic care need to be addressed to improve early detection. Health education messages should emphasise the curability of TB, the feasibility of treatment and the engagement of traditional healers as partners in identifying cases and facilitating adherence to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda. eburegyeya@musph.ac.ug
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buregyeya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulane
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colebunders
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wajja
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiguli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mayanja
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musoke
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pariyo
authors.forename: E M H
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population; D013240:Stereotyping; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000523:psychology*; D014454:Uganda