Determinants of delayed pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in a rural district of Pakistan.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by acid-fast bacilli is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Pakistan has the world's fifth-largest prevalence of TB, with 276/100,000 cases in prevalence and a mortality of 34/100,000. Delayed diagnosis, disruptions in treatment continuity and a lack of awareness are the key issues leading to multidrug-resistant TB. The current study aimed to find out the determinants of delayed pulmonary TB in a rural district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The cross-sectional study was conducted in six TB control program centers designated by the National TB Control Program from March to December 2024. Data were collected from 250 eligible patients, and after removal of incomplete questionnaires, the data of 229 patients were analyzed. The study was approved by the district TB officer, and participants' consent was obtained before data collection. A delay of >21 days was considered the cutoff point for delayed TB diagnosis. Among 229 patients, 51.1% were male and 48.9% female participants, with a mean age of 33.31±21.32 years. The mean diagnostic delay was 23.66±14.94 days. Descriptive analysis of data showed 52% of delayed TB diagnosis cases; 92.2% of the studied patients were from rural areas, in which 80% of delayed TB diagnosis cases were reported. Male gender [odds ratio (OR)=2.31], getting treatment from public hospitals (OR=4.13), age group 31-45 years (OR=3.10), presence of acute extrapulmonary symptoms of cough, fever, and weight loss (OR=2.84), perception that the symptoms will be relieved by oneself (OR=9.99), economic constraints (OR=6.58), and perception of the poor quality of healthcare services at hospitals (OR=7.32) were found to be significant factors of delayed TB diagnosis. Primary school- (OR=0.20), college- or university-level education (OR=0.42) and high-income groups (OR=0.39) were significant protective factors against delayed TB diagnosis. Marital status, occupation, residence, comorbidities, distance from healthcare facility, previous exposure to TB patients, fever, weight loss, chronic cough, hemoptysis, fear of diagnosis, fear of social isolation, and bad experience of the healthcare staff behavior were found to be non-significant factors for delayed TB diagnosis. The study only focused on delayed diagnosis and did not report healthcare system-related or total delay in tuberculosis management. The study affirmed the significant impact of patient perceptions and socioeconomic status on delayed TB diagnosis.