Table 2.
Preventive attitudes toward visceral leishmaniasis among study participants (N = 210)
| Variable | Patients with VL, n (%) | Patients with HIV/VL, n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Is VL completely curable? | ||
| Yes* | 55 (42.7) | 32 (38.1) |
| No | 24 (19.0) | 22 (26.2) |
| Don’t know | 47 (37.3) | 30 (35.7) |
| Is the outcome of VL fatal if untreated? | ||
| Yes* | 72 (57.1) | 54 (64.3) |
| No | 13 (10.3) | 11 (13.1) |
| Don’t know | 41 (32.5) | 19 (22.6) |
| Is it possible to control VL through community participation? | ||
| Yes* | 50 (39.7) | 34 (40.5) |
| No | 20 (15.9) | 19 (22.6) |
| Don’t know | 56 (44.4) | 31 (36.9) |
| Are people with HIV more vulnerable to kala-azar? | ||
| Yes* | 38 (30.2) | 43 (51.2) |
| No | 23 (18.3) | 11 (13.1) |
| Don’t know | 65 (51.6) | 30 (35.7) |
| Does living with a VL-infected person raise the risk of getting a VL infection? | ||
| Yes* | 51 (40.5) | 37 (44) |
| No | 28 (22.2) | 18 (21.5) |
| Don’t know | 47 (37.3) | 29 (34.5) |
| Does an early diagnosis help with VL treatment? | ||
| Yes* | 80 (63.5) | 56 (66.7) |
| No | 10 (7.9) | 7 (8.3) |
| Don’t know | 36 (65.1) | 21 (25.0) |
| Does inconsistent treatment affect recovery? | ||
| Yes* | 69 (54.8) | 50 (59.5) |
| No | 20 (15.9) | 11 (13.1) |
| Don’t know | 37 (29.4) | 23 (27.4) |
| Where is your preferred place of treatment? | ||
| Public sector* | 82 (65.1) | 58 (69.0) |
| Private sector | 20 (15.9) | 13 (15.5) |
| Other | 24 (28.6) | 13 (25) |
| Overall attitude | ||
| Positive | 54 (42.9) | 41 (48.8) |
| Negative | 72 (57.1) | 43 (51.2) |
| Mean score, point | 3.93 ± 2.22 | 4.31 ± 2.12 |
| P value | 0.225 | |
VL = visceral leishmaniasis.
*
The correct response was assigned a score of 1 point; other responses were scored 0 point.