Prevalence of stigma among pulmonary tuberculosis patients

Abstract; Background; Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is associated with a stigma that refers to the process of devaluing or discrediting individuals in the eye of the others. Objective; To assess the prevalence of stigma among TB patients. Method; This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the chest clinic, Matara, Sri Lanka with a convenient sampling method. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed (KMO=0.554, Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.665). Stigmatization assessed in percentages. Results; Out of the 116 patients analyzed, 62(53%) were male and 54(47%) were female. The age range was from 12-89 years (SD± 17, mean 47). The four categories of stigma ; external stigma, internalized stigma, anticipated stigma, and courtesy stigma scored 24.56%, 29.75%, 54.86%, and 3.5% respectively. In external stigma, 68 (58.6%) were reluctant to investigate close contacts and 10(16%) have lost their jobs and among two (16%), partners refused to marry. In internalized stigma, 82 (70.7%) were reluctant to obtain direct observer treatment from a person in the village and 74(64%) had a mental setback. Conclusions; Prevalence of anticipated stigma indicated the fear and guilty feelings of the patients while internalized stigma indicated psychological distress. Low prevalence of loss of job and refusal of marriage by partners should not be ignored in the strategies for minimizing stigma among the public.