Table 3.
Distribution of diagnostic delay by socio-demographic, clinical variables and health seeking trajectories, nonparametric (Mann–Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis) test
| Characteristics | Patient delay | Health System delay | Total delay | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median (IQR) | p-value | Median (IQR) | p-value | Median (IQR) | p-value | |
| Total | 30(15,60) | 6(4,8) | 36(24,64) | |||
| Delayed, n (%) | 157(41.1) | 134(35.1) | 181(47.4) | |||
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 30(15,60) | 0.771 | 6(4,8) | 0.063 | 35(22.5,64) | 0.899 |
| Female | 30(15,60) | 6(4,7) | 36(24.5,63) | |||
| Residence | ||||||
| Urban | 30(15,50) | 0.025 | 5(4,7) | 0.009 | 35(21,58) | 0.008 |
| Rural | 31(20,60) | 6(5,9) | 40(28,65) | |||
| Age (years) | ||||||
| 18–25 | 30 (15,45) | 6(4,8) | 34(21,53) | |||
| 26–44 | 30 (15,60) | 0.109 | 6(4,7) | 0.704 | 36(26,64) | 0.157 |
| 45–54 | 30 (15,52.5) | 6(5,7) | 34.5(20,57.5) | |||
| ≥ 55 | 40 (20,60) | 6(4,7) | 49(26.5,65) | |||
| Education | ||||||
| Illiterate | 30(15,60) | 0.231 | 6(4,7) | 0.070 | 39 (25,64) | 0.362 |
| grade 1–8 | 30(15,60) | 6(4,7) | 36 (25,63) | |||
| grade 9–12 | 30(15,45) | 6(4,8) | 35 (21.5,50) | |||
| college &above | 23.5(15,45) | 6.5(5,9) | 30.5 (22.5,59.3) | |||
| Occupation | ||||||
| farming | 32.5(20.25,60) | 0.033 | 6(4.25,9) | 0.070 | 45(28,68) | 0.010 |
| business | 30(15,45) | 5(4,6) | 34(21,56) | |||
| student | 30(15,40) | 6(5,8) | 35(21,44.75) | |||
| unemployed | 30(15,45) | 6(4,7) | 34.5(21,49) | |||
| employed | 30(15,60) | 6(4,8) | 35(22.5,64) | |||
| Marital status | ||||||
| married | 30(15,60) | 0.015 | 6(4,7) | 0.069 | 37(25,64) | 0.006 |
| never married | 30(15,60) | 5(4,8) | 35(24,64) | |||
| widowed/divorced | 18(15,30) | 5(4,6) | 26(19,40.25) | |||
| Family size | ||||||
| 1 to 3 | 30(15,57.5) | 0.011 | 6(4,7) | 0.076 | 34(21,60.5) | 0.002 |
| > 3 | 30(20,60) | 6(5,8) | 40(27.75,60) | |||
| Self-medication | ||||||
| No | 30(15,47.75) | 0.000 | 6(4,8) | 0.990 | 35(22,56.25) | 0.000 |
| Yes | 50(30,60) | 6(4,8) | 56(34.25,70.75) | |||
| Use of non-prescribed drugs | ||||||
| No | 30(15,60) | 0.005 | 6(4,8) | 0.073 | 35(22,63) | 0.006 |
| Yes | 37.5(30,62.5) | 5(4,7) | 44(34,72.75) | |||
| One way walking time | ||||||
| ≤ 30 min | 30(15,60) | 0.004 | 5(4,7) | 0.001 | 34(20.75,63) | 0.000 |
| > 30 min | 30(20,60) | 6(5,8) | 40.5(28.25,64) | |||
| TB category | ||||||
| SPPTB | 30(15,40) | 0.145 | 6(5,7) | 0.843 | 34(24.25,48) | 0.037 |
| SNPTB | 30(15,60) | 5.5(4,7) | 35(21,64) | |||
| EPTB | 30(15,60) | 6(4,8) | 41.5(27.75,64) | |||
| Previous exposure to TB patient | ||||||
| Yes | 34(19,60) | 0.049 | 6(4,8) | 0.539 | 45(27,68) | 0.043 |
| No | 30(15,58) | 6(4,8) | 35(23,63) | |||
| HIV serostatus | ||||||
| positive | 30(15,45) | 0.287 | 5(4,7.25) | 0.129 | 34.5(21,54.5) | 0.197 |
| Negative | 30(15,60) | 6(4,8) | 36(25,64 | |||
| Initially visited health facilities | ||||||
| Government | 6(4,7) | 0.079 | 37(26,64) | 0.041 | ||
| Private | 6(5,8) | 30(21,57.5) | ||||
| Diagnostic tests | ||||||
| microscopy | 6(4,9) | 0.000 | 29(20,41) | 0.000 | ||
| Chest X-ray | 5(4,6) | 30(19,49) | ||||
| microscopy and chest X-ray | 6(5,8) | 39(28,65) | ||||
| Gene-Xpert | 7(5,12) | 52(30,67) | ||||
| Initially visited HCP | ||||||
| Internist | 5(4,6.75) | 0.104 | 21.5(19,35) | 0.000 | ||
| General practitioners | 6(4,8) | 41(29,65) | ||||
| Nurse/health officer | 6(4,7) | 42(29,65) | ||||
| Health care contacts | ||||||
| Single | 5(4,7) | 0.003 | 33(21,46.5) | 0.000 | ||
| Multiple | 6(5,8) | 38(26,65) | ||||
HCP health care providers, IQR interquartile range, SPPTB smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis, SNPTB smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis, EPTB extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Statistically significant value are in bold