Effect of Health Education on Costs of Treatment and Household´S Income among Tuberculosis Patients in Kenya: A Randomized Control Trial
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Date
2022-04
Journal Title
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Publisher
PAMJ - One Health
Abstract
introduction: directly observed therapy, shortcourse strategy for TB treatment, in combination
with patient education has proved to be effective
in reducing TB incident than the DOTS strategy
alone. Although tuberculosis care for patients is
free in Kenya, other expenses associated with the
disease during treatment have been known to
increase costs at the patient and household level.
This study sought to determine effect of health
education on costs to treatment and household´s
income among tuberculosis patients in Kenya.
Methods: the study was conducted between
September 2019 and February 2020 in selected
public health facilities in Kenya. A cluster
randomized controlled trial preceded by crosssectional study was conducted among the TB
patients. Four hundred and fifty (450) patients
were recruited from the TB clinics by random
sampling. Three hundred and seventy-three met
eligibility criteria and were assigned into
experimental and control groups by simple random
sampling. Health education intervention was given
to the experimental group and not in the control
group. However, all the study patients
(experimental and control) received the standard
tuberculosis treatment. After six months of
treatment the two groups were compared. Results:
at the baseline, patients incurred almost similar
total treatment costs (experimental (USD 16,071)
and control (USD 16,543) groups but after the
health education intervention, patients in the
experimental group were found to have incurred
less cost (USD 59,073) than those in the control
group (USD 67,750). The difference was
statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion:
health education was found to impart knowledge
to the patient contributing to reduced expenditure
while seeking TB care
Description
Research Article
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Citation
Humphrey Mbuti Kimani et al. Effect of health education on costs of treatment and household’s income among tuberculosis patients in Kenya: a randomized control trial. PAMJ - One Health. 2022;8(2). 10.11604/pamj-oh.2022.8.2.32925