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Delay in seeking care for tuberculosis symptoms among adults newly diagnosed with HIV in rural Malawi.

ABSTRACT: Setting: Ten primary health clinics in rural Thyolo District, Malawi.

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common initial presentation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the time from TB symptom onset to HIV diagnosis to describe TB health-seeking behaviour in adults newly diagnosed with HIV.

Design: We asked adults (?18 years) about the presence and duration of TB symptoms at the time of receiving a new HIV diagnosis. Associations with delayed health seeking (defined as >30 and >90 days from the onset of TB symptoms) were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.

Results: TB symptoms were reported by 416 of 1265 participants (33%), of whom 36% (150/416) had been symptomatic for >30 days before HIV testing. Most participants (260/416, 63%) were below the poverty line (US$0.41 per household member per day). Patients who first sought care from informal providers had an increased odds of delay of >30 days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.6, 95%CI 0.9-2.8) or 90 days (aOR 2.0, 95%CI 1.1-3.8).

Conclusions: Delayed health seeking for TB-related symptoms was common. Poverty was ubiquitous, but had no clear relationship to diagnostic delay. HIV-positive individuals who first sought care from informal providers were more likely to experience diagnostic delays for TB symptoms.

SUBMITTER: Ngwira LG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5824850 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Delay in seeking care for tuberculosis symptoms among adults newly diagnosed with HIV in rural Malawi.

Ngwira L G LG Dowdy D W DW Khundi M M Barnes G L GL Nkhoma A A Choko A T AT Murowa M M Chaisson R E RE Corbett E L EL Fielding K K

The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 20180301 3

<h4>Setting</h4>Ten primary health clinics in rural Thyolo District, Malawi.<h4>Objective</h4>Tuberculosis (TB) is a common initial presentation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the time from TB symptom onset to HIV diagnosis to describe TB health-seeking behaviour in adults newly diagnosed with HIV.<h4>Design</h4>We asked adults (18 years) about the presence and duration of TB symptoms at the time of receiving a new HIV diagnosis. Associations with delayed healt ...[more]

PMID: 29471905

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Dataset Information

Delay in seeking care for tuberculosis symptoms among adults newly diagnosed with HIV in rural Malawi.

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Delay in seeking care for tuberculosis symptoms among adults newly diagnosed with HIV in rural Malawi.

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