Sociodemographic profile of tuberculosis and treatment difficulties in light of health literacy.

OBJECTIVES

to describe the sociodemographic profile of people with tuberculosis and difficulties in undergoing treatment in Primary Health Care in light of health literacy.

METHODS

a cross-sectional study, conducted in four Municipal Health Units located in Belém/Pará/Brazil. A total of 207 people undergoing tuberculosis treatment were interviewed using sociodemographic questionnaire and Health Literacy Test. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

males predominated (n=135/65.2%), in the age groups of 18-29 (n=62/30.0%) and 30-39 years (n=50/24.2%), single (n=97/46.9%), with completed high school/incomplete elementary school (n=70/33.8%; n=63/30.4%) and a family income of two minimum wages (n=108/52.2%). Regarding tuberculosis treatment, they acknowledged difficulties such as removing medication from its packaging, refilling medications, and taking multiple pills simultaneously, highlighting limitations related to health literacy.

CONCLUSIONS

investments in structural, human, and material resources should be made by healthcare service professionals/managers and public authorities, aiming to improve the literacy of people with tuberculosis.