Table 4.
Selected Illustrative Quotes for Theme 3 and 4: Social Support and Health Behavior Issues for TB
| Theme 3: Social Support and Functioning |
| Sub-Theme: Social Support |
| Clinic-based patients |
| "My family knows and they comforted me so I felt much better". (Male) |
| "My wife was calm about it and this gave me support". (Male) |
| "Mom was concerned for me since her grandmother had died of TB". (Female) |
| Inner-city Patients |
| "My friends stayed away when they found out, they thought I was contagious. I tried to tell them but still I did not see them again". (Male) |
| "My friends do no want to hang around me. It's the fear of the unknown...they just know it's airborne and contagious". (Male) |
| "My partner is okay with it because she has TB too". (Male) |
| "I don't have any family except my aunt but she was scared to come and see me because she has two children". (Female) |
| Theme 4: Health Behavior |
| Sub-Theme: Behavior Modification |
| Clinic-based patients |
| "I run more. I was always a runner. The endorphins help". (Female) |
| "Vitamins might interact with my medications so I don't take them" (Male) |
| Inner-city Patients |
| "I eat better... although with my income, this is difficult". (Male) |
| "This diagnosis was a wake-up call to change my lifestyle. I now eat better and sleep lots" (Male) |
| "I have been drinking more booze to help manage the side effects of the medications". (Female) |
| "I drink bottled water and avoid tap water due to my depressed immune system" (Male) |
| Sub-Theme: TB Knowledge |
| Clinic-based patients |
| "It is important to be cured but you can't get it again" (Female) |
| "It is very important to get cured...if you aren't cured, you could die" (Male) |
| "Family doctors should know more about TB. They didn't know what to do with respect to breastfeeding and TB. There really needs to more public education" (Female) |
| "I don't think I have TB. My doctor told me I have it and now I have to take medications but I am not sure that I really have it" (Male). |
| Inner-city Patients |
| "Once you get TB, it's in your system" (Male) |
| "As long as TB can be arrested ...not necessarily cured, that would be OK (Female)" |
| "People should be more active in spreading the word on the street that TB is still out there...there has to be more outreach programs" (Male) |