Analysis of Patient and Health Worker Factors Influencing Tuberculosis Case Detection in Jambi, Indonesia
Keywords:
tuberculosis, case detection, knowledge, attitudes, health workersAbstract
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern, and effective case detection is essential for early diagnosis and treatment. Patient-related and health worker–related factors may influence the success of TB case-finding efforts.This study aimed to analyze patient and health worker factors associated with tuberculosis case detection.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted involving 90 patients and 3 TB program health workers. Patient variables included knowledge, attitudes, and practices, while health worker variables included knowledge, attitudes, and motivation. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, interviews, and secondary program records. Descriptive, bivariate (Chi-square), and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant associations with TB case detection.
Results: More than half of the patients demonstrated poor knowledge about TB (56.7%), although most showed good attitudes (73.3%) and practices (63.3%). All health workers exhibited good knowledge, attitudes, and motivation. Bivariate analysis indicated significant associations between patient knowledge (p=0.001), attitudes (p=0.010), and practices (p=0.020) with TB case detection. Despite high performance in suspect identification (87.43%), confirmed TB case detection remained suboptimal at 64.29%, reflecting gaps in diagnostic follow-through.
Conclusion: Patient knowledge, attitudes, and practices play a significant role in TB case detection, while health workers consistently demonstrate strong readiness to support program implementation. However, detection gaps persist due to patient-related barriers and system-level constraints. Strengthening patient education, improving diagnostic pathways, and enhancing community engagement are essential to increase TB case detection and support TB control efforts.
Keywords: Tuberculosis; case detection; knowledge; attitudes; health workers; practices
