Measuring Tuberculosis related stigma and its determinants in Egypt: A community based study

Background: Tuberculosis is still an important public health problem in Egypt. The condition is highly stigmatised, with considerable discrimination towards sufferers. The objectives of our research were therefore to take the first steps towards determining the magnitude and determinants of stigma associated with TB. Methods: A multistage stratified cluster random sample was employed in this house to house survey which targeted adult males and females from 15-65 years old in 6 randomly selected governorates. An interview questionnaire covering 5 sections of questions about socio-demographics, tuberculosis knowledge, attitude, stigma and gender discrimination was used. Fifteen indicators of stigma were used and a stigma index was calculated. Results: The prevalence of stigma among the studied sample was below the average = 44.9%. The significant predictors were the presence of gender discrimination, level of participant’s knowledge and attitude towards TB, gender, residency and having a job or not as depicted from logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Females, jobless population and rural residents are the most important target groups for health education programs