Community Knowledge about Tuberculosis and Perception about Tuberculosis-Associated Stigma in Pakistan
by
Syed Mustafa Ali 1,*
,
Naveed Anjum 1,
Muhammad Ishaq 1,
Farah Naureen 2,
Arif Noor 3,
Aamna Rashid 4,
Syed Muslim Abbas 5 and
Kerri Viney 6
Syed Mustafa Ali 1,*,
Naveed Anjum 1,
Muhammad Ishaq 1,
Farah Naureen 2,
Arif Noor 3,
Aamna Rashid 4,
Syed Muslim Abbas 5 and
Kerri Viney 6
1
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit, Mercy Corps, Lane 9, Chak Shehzad, Park Road, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
2
Senior Director Programs, Mercy Corps, Lane 9, Chak Shehzad, Park Road, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
3
Country Director, Mercy Corps, Lane 9, Chak Shehzad, Park Road, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
4
Health Programs, Mercy Corps, Lane 9, Chak Shehzad, Park Road, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
5
Health Economics Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
6
Department of Global Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Societies 2019, 9(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc9010009
Received: 19 November 2018 / Revised: 14 January 2019 / Accepted: 18 January 2019 / Published: 23 January 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identity, Stigma, and Social Reaction)
Tuberculosis- (TB) associated stigma is a well-documented phenomenon with various factors, both individual and societal, manifesting its role in shaping health-seeking behavior and contributing to suboptimal TB care in Pakistan. The objective of this study was to assess TB-related knowledge and perceived stigma among community members. This was a cross-sectional survey using a convenience sample of 183 individuals recruited between October and December 2017. A validated stigma measurement tool developed by Van Rie et al. was adapted. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. A clear majority was aware that TB is curable disease and that it is transmitted by coughing. However, respondents also thought that TB spread through contaminated food, sharing meals, sharing utensils, and by having sexual intercourse with a TB patient. In addition, females, unemployed, and persons having less than six years of education were also more likely to associate stigma with TB. We found an association between the lack of knowledge about TB and perceived stigma. This study highlights the need for improved TB-related education among communities.
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Keywords:
social stigma; tuberculosis; knowledge; stigma measurement; Pakistan
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MDPI and ACS Style
Ali, S.M.; Anjum, N.; Ishaq, M.; Naureen, F.; Noor, A.; Rashid, A.; Abbas, S.M.; Viney, K. Community Knowledge about Tuberculosis and Perception about Tuberculosis-Associated Stigma in Pakistan. Societies 2019, 9, 9.
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