Research Article
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) |
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