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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the respondents

From: Explaining patient delay in healthcare seeking and loss to diagnostic follow-up among patients with presumptive tuberculosis in Tanzania: a mixed-methods study

Characteristic n (%)

All n = 136

Non-LDFUa n = 50

Delayb n = 88

LDFUc n = 86

Age in years, median (IQR)

32 (27–40)

32 (26–36)

32 (26–40)

33 (28–40)

Age group, years

 18–27

35 (25.7)

14 (28.0)

24 (27.2)

21 (24.4)

 28–37

57 (42.0)

24 (48.0)

35 (39.8)

33 (38.4)

  ≥ 38

44 (32.3)

12 (24.0)

29 (33.0)

32 (37.2)

Sex

 Male

54 (39.7)

28 (56.0)

29 (33)

26 (30.2)

 Female

82 (60.3)

22 (44.0)

59 (67)

60 (69.8)

Level of education

 Primary/Secondary

118 (86.8)

46 (92.0)

74 (84.1)

72 (83.7)

 No formal education

18 (13.2)

4 (8.0)

14 (15.9)

14 (16.3)

Religion

 Muslim

88 (64.7)

32 (64.0)

59 (67)

56 (65.1)

 Christian

48 (35.3)

18 (36)

29 (33)

30 (34.9)

Employment status

 Unemployed

36 (26.5)

15 (30)

27 (30.7)

21 (24.4)

 Employed

100 (73.5)

35 (70)

61 (69.3)

65 (75.6)

Monthly household income

 Low income

46 (33.3)

17 (34.0)

34 (38.6)

35 (40.7)

 Middle income

50 (36.7)

18 (36.0)

29 (32.9)

25 (29.1)

 High income

40 (29.4)

15 (30.0)

25 (28.4)

26 (30.2)

Household size

  ≤ 4

75 (55.2)

27 (54)

45 (51.1)

48 (55.8)

  > 4

61 (44.8)

23 (46)

43 (48.9)

38 (44.2)

  1. IQR Interquartile Range, LDFU loss to diagnostic follow-up, Non-LDFU non- loss to diagnostic follow-up, 1 US $ 2190 Tanzanian Shillings
  2. aIncluding negative and confirmed TB patients who attended the clinic and completed all the visits
  3. bPatients who delayed seeking health for ≥3 weeks after onset of symptoms in both LDFU and non-LDFU groups
  4. cIncluding patients who did not visit the clinic after referral from pharmacy and those who did not complete their visits after treatment initiation