A cross-sectional study to assess the stigma associated with tuberculosis among tuberculosis patients in Udupi district, Karnataka

Background For decades, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases like human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, leprosy, etc., have been associated with stigma and discrimination by the society; this can interfere with the lifestyle and disease management among these patients. Objective To assess the stigma experienced by tuberculosis patients and to find the factors associated with stigma. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 209 sputum-positive and sputum-negative tuberculosis patients. Convenient sampling was used to identify the patients. A predesigned, pretested proforma from Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue developed by World Health Organization was used for data collection. Results The study revealed that out of 209 respondents, 51.2% of the respondents experienced some form of stigma. Majority of the patients have received only primary education and 71.3% of the respondents were males. Most of the patients were under category 1 of Directly Observed Treatment Short course. Age, education, and smear status of the patient were found to be associated with stigmatization (P < 0.05), whereas factors like gender, income, occupation, family history, and marital status were found to be not significantly associated with stigmatization. Conclusion Effective counseling measures are recommended for tuberculosis patients with advancing age and education which can help reduce stigmatization and thereby improve quality of life.