Delay for First Consultation and Its Associated Factors among New Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients of Central Nepal

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of participants.

Characteristics	Number (%)
Gender
Male	234 (62.57)
Female	140 (37.43)
Age (years)
15–29	149 (39.84)
30–44	85 (22.73)
≥45	140 (37.43)
Mean (SD)	39.68 (18.6)
Median (min : max)	35.03 (15.07 : 100.56)
Religion
Hindu	292 (78.07)
Buddha	60 (16.04)
Muslim	22 (5.88)
Residence
Urban	249 (66.58)
Rural	125 (33.42)
Education
Illiterate/read & write	123 (32.89)
Primary	69 (18.45)
Secondary	107 (28.61)
University	75 (20.05)
Occupation
Agriculture	93 (24.87)
Housewife	42 (11.23)
Service	50 (13.37)
Business	58 (15.51)
Unemployed	100 (26.74)
Labour	31 (8.29)
Income (monthly in USD)
<50	35 (11.08)
50–75	24 (7.59)
≥75	257 (81.33)
Mean (SD)	270.87 (467.32)
Median (min : max)	170 (10 : 3800)
Number of cigarettes per day
<5	37 (24.34)
≥5	115 (75.66)
Symptoms present before diagnosis
Cough	260 (69.52)
Fever	56 (14.97)
Loss of weight	17 (4.55)
Hemoptysis	20 (5.35)
Chest pain	21 (5.61)
Family support
None	126 (33.69)
Husband/wife	76 (20.32)
Parents	101 (27.01)
Child	71 (18.98)
Distance to reach the TB center
<5 km	291 (78.44)
≥5 km	80 (21.56)
Mean (SD)	4.25 (11.82)
Median (min : max)	2 (1 : 200)
Centre of first contact
Traditional healer/self-treated	18 (4.81)
Private practitioner/pharmacist/vendor	159 (42.51)
Government health facilities	197 (52.67)
Categories of HCP for TB diagnosis
Paramedics	87 (23.26)
Medical officer	209 (55.88)
Chest specialist	78 (20.86)
Patient delay (in days)	199 (53.21)
No delay (<30 days)	175 (46.79)
Delay (≥30 days)	199 (53.21)
Mean (SD)	78.64 (233.94)
Median (IQR)	32 (11–70)