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Tuberculosis in a developing country — how much patients know about disease

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Knowledge of tuberculosis among patients with the disease is crucial for early disease recognition, patients’ full cooperation during the treatment, and prevention of future relapses. Our major aim was to evaluate knowledge about tuberculosis among patients and its correlation to their socioeconomic status (education level, employment status, monthly income, living conditions).

Patients and methods

In this prospective study we interviewed 200 adult patients with newly diagnosed, active pulmonary tuberculosis treated at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia (July, 2006–June, 2008). The information for analysis was obtained from two questionnaires and patients’ medical records.

Results

The majority of the patients, 158 (79%), were male, with a mean age of 49 years (±15.4). Most of the patients knew that tuberculosis is an infectious disease (n=188, 92%), but they were unaware of the cause (n=84, 42%). The patients with a higher education level (61.2% vs. 90%, p=0.03), satisfactory living conditions (88.7% vs. 63.2%, p=0.02), and higher economic status (78.4% vs. 100%, p=0.04) demonstrated more knowledge about the disease. Half of the patients (n=98, 49%) believed that concomitant diseases (HIV, tumors) might contribute to the genesis of tuberculosis.

Conclusions

Patients with tuberculosis demonstrated good knowledge of their disease. Patients with higher socioeconomic status and education level were more knowledgeable about their disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Policlinic department, Institut for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Institutski put, 421204, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia

    Miroslav Ilic & Vesna Kuruc

  2. Clinic for tuberculosis, Institut for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Institutski put, 421204, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia

    Slobodan Pavlovic & Svetlana Kasikovic-Lecic

  3. Urgent Pulmonology Clinic, Institut for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Institutski put, 421204, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia

    Ivan Kopitovic & Marija Kojicic

  4. General Pulmonology Clinic, Institut for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Institutski put, 421204, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia

    Biljana Zvezdin

  5. Pulmonary Oncology Clinic, Institut for pulmonary diseases of Vojvodina Sremska Kamenica, Institutski put, 421204, Serbia

    Bojan Zaric

Authors
  1. Miroslav Ilic
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  2. Vesna Kuruc
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  3. Slobodan Pavlovic
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  4. Ivan Kopitovic
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  5. Svetlana Kasikovic-Lecic
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  6. Biljana Zvezdin
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  7. Bojan Zaric
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  8. Marija Kojicic
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miroslav Ilic.

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Ilic, M., Kuruc, V., Pavlovic, S. et al. Tuberculosis in a developing country — how much patients know about disease. cent.eur.j.med 7, 249–257 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-011-0124-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-011-0124-z

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