“I Would Have to Hold Him and Pin Him Down”: Caregiver Experiences of Administering Drug‑Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment to Children in KwaZulu‑Natal, South Africa
References
- Wademan DT, Palmer M, Purchase S, et al. Toward a conceptual framework of the acceptability of tuberculosis treatment in children using a theory generative approach. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2022;2(12):e0001267. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0001267. PMID: 36962908; PMCID: PMC10021666.
- World Health Organization. Global tuberculosis report 2022. World Health Organization: Geneva; 2022.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240061729 . - Wademan DT, Busakwe L, Nicholson TJ, et al. Acceptability of a first‑line anti‑tuberculosis formulation for children: Qualitative data from the SHINE trial. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2019;23(12):1263–1268. doi:10.5588/ijtld.19.0115. PMID: 31931909; PMCID: PMC6903808.
- Misra S, Misra N, Seepamore B, et al. “I would watch her with awe as she swallowed the first handful”: A qualitative study of pediatric multidrug‑resistant tuberculosis experiences in Durban, South Africa. PLoS One. 2022;17(9):
e0274741 . doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274741. PMID: 36112604; PMCID: PMC9481007. - Purchase SE, Wademan DT, Tshetu NL. Holistic acceptability of an adult levofloxacin formulation in children and adolescents on a tuberculosis preventive treatment trial. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(7):e0003381. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0003381. PMID: 38968182; PMCID: PMC11226063.
- Ternik R, Liu F, Bartlett JA, et al. Assessment of swallowability and palatability of oral dosage forms in children: Report from an M‑CERSI pediatric formulation workshop. Int J Pharm. 2018;536(2):570–581. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.08.088. PMID: 28844897.
- Baguley D, Lim E, Bevan A, Pallet A, Faust SN. Prescribing for children–taste and palatability affect adherence to antibiotics: A review. Arch Dis Child. 2012;97(3):293–297. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2011-300909. PMID: 22088684.
- Keating AV, Soto J, Forbes C, Zhao M, Craig DQ, Tuleu C. Multi‑methodological quantitative taste assessment of anti‑tuberculosis drugs to support the development of palatable paediatric dosage forms. Pharmaeutics. 2020;12(4):369. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics12040369. PMID: 32316692; PMCID: PMC7238065.
- Wademan DT, Hunleth J, Simwinga M, et al. Including the voice of children < 15‑Years‑old in paediatric global health research. Curr Trop Med Rep. 2024;11(3):126–134. doi:10.1007/s40475-024-00323-1. Epub 2024 Jun 19. PMID: 39347514; PMCID: PMC11433855.
- Kozarewicz P. Regulatory perspectives on acceptability testing of dosage forms in children. Int J Pharm. 2014;469(2):245–248. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.03.057. Epub 2014 Apr 1. PMID: 24704104.
- Liu F, Ranmal S, Batchelor HK, et al. European paediatric formulation initiatives eupfi: Formulation factors affecting acceptability of oral medicines in children. Int J Pharm. 2015;492(1–2):341–343. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.05.013. Epub 2015 May 7. PMID: 25959115.
- Doron H, Hen M, Sharabi‑Nov A. Relationship quality among chronically ill children and their parents. J Child Fam Stud. 2018;27(12):3866–3876. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1228-8.
- Brooks MB, Vance A, Misra N, et al. Family first: Integrating principles of family‑centered care to improve the tuberculosis care cascade. BMC Glob Public Health. 2026;4:30. doi:10.1186/s44263-026-00264-z.
- Reuter A, Hughes J, Furin J. Challenges and controversies in childhood tuberculosis. Lancet. 2019;394(10202). doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32045-8. PMID: 31526740.
- Taneja R, Scarim JA. Methods of preparing modified dosage forms and related components. U.S. Patent Application Publication US20230310276A1. Assignee: Global Alliance for TB Drug Development Inc. Published 2023.
- Bélard S, Isaacs W, Black F, et al. Treatment of childhood tuberculosis: Caregivers’ practices and perceptions in Cape Town, South Africa. Paediatr Int Child Health. 2015;35(1):24–28. doi:10.1179/2046905514Y.0000000133. Epub 2014 Jul 18. PMID: 25034798.
- Pelayo GL. Resilience rising: Implementation and perspectives of a family‑centered, strengths‑based program for families affected by high caregiver chronic disease burden and childhood psychosocial dysfunction. Honors thesis. Riverside; University of California; 2025.
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3kx072qd . - Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3(2):77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
- Dawadi S. Thematic analysis approach: A step by step guide for ELT research practitioners. J NELTA. 2020;25(1‑2):71. doi:10.3126/nelta.v25i1-2.49731.
- Loveday M, Padayatchi N, Voce A, Brust J, Wallengren K. The treatment journey of a patient with multidrug‑resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: Is it patient‑centred? Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2013;17(
10 Suppl 1 ):56–59. doi:10.5588/ijtld.13.0101. - Coleman M, Calderwood CJ, Magee S, et al. The tuberculogenic environment. Lancet Global Health. 2026;14(3):e444–e454. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(25)00478-4. PubMed PMID: 41713446.
- Marais BJ. Newer drugs for tuberculosis prevention and treatment in children. Indian J Pediatr. 2019;86(8):725–731. doi:10.1007/s12098-018-02854-8. Epub 2019 Feb 1. PMID: 30707347.
- Holas C, Chiu YL, Notario G, Kapral D. A pooled analysis of seven randomized crossover studies of the palatability of cefdinir oral suspension versus amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, cefprozil, azithromycin, and amoxicillin in children aged 4 to 8 years. Clin Ther. 2005;27(12):1950–1960. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2005.11.017. PMID: 16507381.
- Ishizaka T, Okada S, Tokuyama E, Mukai J, Uchida T. Suppression of bitterness and improvement of palatability of commercial prednisolone powder. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2008;56(10):1395–1399. doi:10.1248/cpb.56.1395. PMID: 18827377.
- Mhlanga D, Hassan A. An investigation of the factors influencing the choice of healthcare facility in South Africa. Int J Res Bus Soc Sci. 2022;11(4):50–58. doi:10.20525/ijrbs.v11i4.1765.
- Meyerson KA, Hoddinott G, Garcia‑Prats AJ, Tomlinson M. Caregiver–child separation during tuberculosis hospitalisation: A qualitative study in South Africa. S Afr J Psychol. 2021;51(3):409–421. doi:10.1177/0081246320962729. Epub 2020 Oct 12. PMID: 34456393; PMCID: PMC8389357.
- Chauhan A, Parmar M, Dash GC, et al. Health literacy and tuberculosis control: Systematic review and meta‑analysis. Bull World Health Organ. 2024;102(6):421–431. doi:10.2471/BLT.23.290396. Epub 2024 Mar 27. PMID: 38812804; PMCID: PMC11132163.
- Rubin A, Babbie EA. Research Methods for Social Work. 7th ed. Brooks/Cole; 2011:118–124.
- Saunders B, Sim J, Kingstone T, et al. Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Qual Quant. 2018;52(4):1893–1907. doi:10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.5233 | Journal eISSN: 2214-9996
Language: English
Page range: 66 - 66
Submitted on: Mar 5, 2026
Accepted on: Jun 23, 2026
Published on: Jul 15, 2026
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
© 2026 Boitumelo Seepamore, Nirupa Misra, Brittney J van de Water, Jennifer Furin, Shriya Misra, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.