title: Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research has shown that health system utilization is low for chronic diseases (CDs) other than HIV. We describe the knowledge and perceptions of CDs identified from rural and urban communities in north-west Tanzania and southern Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through a quantitative population survey, a quantitative health facility survey and focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) in subgroups of population survey participants. The main focus of this paper is the findings from the FGDs and IDIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We conducted 24 FGDs, involving approximately 180 adult participants and IDIs with 116 participants (≥18 years). CDs studied included: asthma/chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, cardiac failure and HIV- related disease. The understanding of most chronic conditions involved a combination of biomedical information, gleaned from health facility visits, local people who had suffered from a complaint or knew others who had and beliefs drawn from information shared in the community. The biomedical contribution shows some understanding of the aetiology of a condition and the management of that condition. However, local beliefs for certain conditions (such as epilepsy) suggest that biomedical treatment may be futile and therefore work counter to biomedical prescriptions for management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current perceptions of selected CDs may represent a barrier that prevents people from adopting efficacious health and treatment seeking behaviours. Interventions to improve this situation must include efforts to improve the quality of existing health services, so that people can access relevant, reliable and trustworthy services.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research, Isamilo Road, P.O. Box 1462, Mwanza, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Soori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nnko
authors.affiliation: MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bukenya
authors.affiliation: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, P.O. Box 11936, Mwanza, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Bazil Balthazar
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kavishe
authors.affiliation: MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biraro
authors.affiliation: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, P.O. Box 11936, Mwanza, Tanzania.|Weill Buganda School of Medicine, Mwanza, Tanzania.|Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States of America.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.affiliation: Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, P.O. Box 11936, Mwanza, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Saidi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kapiga
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grosskurth
authors.affiliation: MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.|London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seeley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D011639:Public Opinion; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population