A sociological study of awareness of symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and action taken by patients to seek relief

Krishnaswamy, K.V.; Abdul Rahim, M. and Parthasarathy, R. (1977) A sociological study of awareness of symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and action taken by patients to seek relief. Indian Journal of Tuberculosis, 24 (1). pp. 15-20.

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Abstract

Awareness of symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis and promptness of action taken to seek the treatment by the sufferers in an urban area was studied. The proximity of the medical facility enabled a sizable proportion (53%) to take action within less than a month. The proportion of patients drawn from all the 3 areas (AC, OA & OS) who took action within a month was 40%, within 3 months 65% and within 6 months 84%. It was also observed that among symptomatics reporting within a month, the bacillary cases are proportionately low which tends to increase as the time elapses. Analysis of the psychological impact of the disease on the patients elicited a sense of optimism in a large proportion of patients obviously due to a very favourable response to good treatment. The attitudes of the relatives towards the patients tended to be on traditional lines, a large propor-tion of the in-laws being hostile and confirming the mother’s sympathy to her offspring.

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