Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate the difference in beliefs between patients who had and had no TB relapse in order to reveal the beliefs against and facilitating TB relapses. Method: The study was conducted in a 9 TB care centers in Vientiane. 23-item, lao version questionnaire of beliefs regarding TB was conducted. The volunteers were treated pulmonary TB patients comprising 22 of relapse and 44 of non relapse. A face-to-face interview was done upon appointment. The volunteers gave a score to each question item. A likert scale of 5 was used. The analyses aimed at the difference in means of the total scores of the two groups as well as the depiction of items and dimensions that gave different means scores. Result: The mean scores and standard deviations were 72.8 (6.63) and 90.7 (6.62) for ‘relapse’ and ‘non relapse’ respectively, p= 0.0001. Of the breakdown data, the perceptions of TB disease scores were 12.5 (2.59) and 18.1 (2.27); the means scores of social aspect beliefs,14.1 (3.32) and 20.4(3.83); the means scores of the self-care beliefs was 21.5 (4.32) and 29.2 (2.68); the means scores of the health care system beliefs,19.7 (1.69) and 21.7(1.11). Conclusion: The patients’ beliefs could affect relapse of pulmonary tuberculosis. Some items as well as the four dimensions of beliefs-perception of TB disease, social aspect, self-care and health care system were remarkably different between relapse and non-relapse groups. Further probes into these beliefs would bring better understanding of the TB-relapse affects of these beliefs.
