Strategies to enhance participation in the prevention of tuberculosis by religious leaders in Khomas Region, Namibia

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top-ranking causes of death in many countries, including Namibia. The purpose of this research study was to determine the knowledge and the attitudes of religious leaders and congregants regarding TB and to describe practices of TB prevention among religious leaders and congregants in Khomas Region, Namibia. The researcher developed strategies for enhancing the prevention of TB by religious leaders in Khomas Region, Namibia. The Health Belief Model and the Socio-ecological Model were adopted for the study. A mixed-method convergent design was used in this study. Phase one of the study involved the use of a quantitative descriptive design and phase two comprised a sequential mixed-method study using the Delphi technique. Explorative, descriptive and contextual designs were applied in phase two. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires in both phase one and phase two. Phase one included 299 participants and phase two included 100 experts in TB and religion. A quantitative data analysis was done using Moon Stats 2018, version 2.0. A qualitative data analysis was done following the steps of content analysis. This study found that the participants were very knowledgeable about TB in that 241 (80.87%) participants indicated that bacteria are the cause of TB and 292 (97.99%) indicated that TB bacteria are spread through the air from one person to another. The participants had a good attitude towards TB in that 227 (76.65%) participants agreed that anyone can be infected with TB and 140 (47.78%) expressed compassion for people who have TB. Participants of the study had good practices for TB prevention, like seeking medical attention if they suspect they have TB. A total of 28 strategies for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of TB were developed. The recommendation made in this study is that religious leaders should be at the forefront of TB prevention activities due to their sphere of influence in society. All health sector stakeholders should support efforts by religious leaders to combat TB through sponsorships.

Bolwetsi jwa lehuba (TB) ke nngwe ya dibaki tsa loso tse di kwa setlhoeng mo dinageng tse dintsi, go akaretsa Namibia. Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso eno e ne e le go sekaseka kitso le maitshwaro a baeteledipele ba sedumedi le baphuthegi mabapi le TB le go tlhalosa ditiragalo tsa thibelo ya TB magareng ga baeteledipele ba sedumedi le baphuthegi mo Kgaolong ya Khomas, Namibia. Mmatlisisi o dirile ditogamaano tsa go tokafatsa thibelo ya TB ka baeteledipele ba sedumedi mo Kgaolong ya Khomas, Namibia. Go amogetswe sekao sa Tumelo ya Boitekanelo le Sekao sa Ikholoji ya Loago mo thutopatlisisong. Go dirisitswe thadiso ya molebo o o kopantsweng mo thutopatlisisong eno. Kgato ya ntlha ya thutopatlisiso e akareditse tiriso ya molebo o o tlhalosang wa dipalopalo, mme kgato ya bobedi e nnile le thutopatlisiso ya molebo o o kopantsweng wa tatelano o o dirisang thekeniki ya Delphi. Go dirisitswe melebo ya tshekatsheko, tlhaloso le bokao mo kgatong ya bobedi. Data e ne ya kgobokanngwa go dirisiwa makwalopotsolotso a a batlileng a rulagantswe mo kgatong ya ntlha le kgato ya bobedi. Kgato ya ntlha e akareditse banni-le-seabe ba le 299, mme kgato ya bobedi e akareditse baitsenape ba le 100 ba TB le bodumedi. Tokololo ya data ya dipalopalo e ne ya dirwa go diriswa Moon Stats 2018, mofuta wa 2.0. Tokololo ya data e e lebelelang mabaka e ne ya dirwa go latelwa dikgato tsa tokololo ya diteng. Thutopatlisiso eno e fitlhetse gore banni-le-seabe ba ne ba na le kitso thata ka ga TB mo e leng gore banni-le-seabe ba ba 241 (80.87%) ba kaile gore ditwatsi ke tsona di tlholang TB, mme ba le 292 (97.99%) ba kaile gore ditwatsi tsa TB di phatlaladiwa mo moweng go tswa go motho yo mongwe go ya go yo mongwe. Banni-le-seabe ba na le megopolo e e siameng ka ga TB mo e leng gore banni-le-seabe ba ba 227 (76.65%) ba dumetse gore mongwe le mongwe a ka nna a tshwaetswa ke TB, mme ba le 140 (47.78%) ba ne ba bontsha boutlwelobotlhoko mo bathong ba ba nang le TB. Banni-le-seabe ba thutopatlisiso ba na le ditiragatso tse di siameng tsa thibelo ya TB, go tshwana le go batla thuso ya kalafi fa e le gore ba belaela gore ba na le TB. Go dirilwe palogotlhe ya ditogamaano di le 28 tsa thibelo ya ntlha, ya bobedi le ya boraro ya TB. Katlenegiso e e dirilweng mo thutopatlisisong eno ke gore baeteledipele ba sedumedi ba tshwanetse go nna kwa pele mo ditiragatsong tsa thibelo ya TB ka ntlha ya seemo sa bona sa tshusumetso mo setšhabeng. Baamegi botlhe ba lephata la boitekanelo ba tshwanetse go tshegetsa maiteko a baeteledipele ba sedumedi go lwantsha TB ka diketleetso.

Tuberkulose (TB) is een van die grootste doodsoorsake in Namibië en talle ander lande. Die doel van hierdie studie was om godsdiensleiers en gemeentelede in die Khomasstreek in Namibië se kennis van TB, hulle ingesteldheid jeens die siekte, en hulle voorkomingsmaatreëls te ondersoek. Die navorser het strategieë opgestel om te verhoed dat godsdiensleiers in hierdie streek TB opdoen. Die Gesondheidopvattings- en die Sosiaal-ekologiese model is met die oog op hierdie studie aangepas. ʼn Konvergente ontwerp met gemengde metodes is in hierdie studie gebruik. In fase 1 is ʼn kwantitatiewe, deskriptiewe ontwerp gevolg en in fase 2 is opeenvolgende gemengde metodes volgens die Delphitegniek toegepas. ʼn Verkennende, deskriptiewe en kontekstuele ontwerp is in fase gevolg. Data is in fase 1 en 2 aan die hand van halfgestruktureerde vraelyste ingesamel. In fase 1 het 299 respondente en in fase 2 het 100 TB- en godsdiensdeskundiges deelgeneem. ʼn Kwantitatiewe ontleding van die data is met Moon Stats 2018, weergawe 2.0 gedoen. Vervolgens is die data kwalitatief volgens die stappe van ʼn inhoudsanalise ontleed. In hierdie studie is bevind dat die deelnemers heel kundig was oor TB. Altesame 241 (80,87%) deelnemers het te kenne gegee dat bakterieë die oorsaak van TB is, en 292 (97,99%) het laat blyk dat TB-bakterieë luglangs van een persoon na ʼn ander versprei. Die deelnemers se ingesteldheid jeens TB was reg, want 227 (76,65%) deelnemers was dit eens dat enige iemand die siekte kan opdoen, en 140 (47,78%) het medelye gehad met TB-lyers. Daarby het hulle goeie voorkomingsmaatreëls gevolg soos om ʼn dokter te spreek toe hulle vermoed het dat hulle TB opgedoen het. Altesame 28 maatreëls is vir die primêre, sekondêre en tersiêre voorkoming van hierdie siekte getref. Daar word aanbeveel dat godsdiensleiers vanweë die aansien wat hulle in die samelewing geniet, die leiding in voorkomingsveldtogte moet neem. Alle belanghebbendes in die gesondheidsektor moet godsdiensleiers se pogings om TB te bestry, met borgskappe steun.