By Day 3
Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
Summarize the research study addressing the aspects bulleted above. In your posting, provide a link to the article you selected.
Identify and discuss the ethical issues associated with this study.
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Solution
Purpose
The article by Erlinger et al (2019) evaluates the relationship between the cost of treating a TB patient and poverty levels measured through a multi-dimensionalindex showing poverty. The study acknowledges that TB is one of the leading infectious causes of mortality across the globe. Mortality and morbidity are shouldered by people affected by Tuberculosis.
Study Population
The study used 323 respondents from 56 public clinics in Limpopo, South Africa. The province is largely a rural province located on the northern side of South Africa with the highest population of people practicing agriculture (Erlinger et al., 2019).
Length of the Trial
The Erlinger et al., (2019) led the study between 2017 and 2018 taking one year.
Data Collection Methods
The researchers conducted cross-sectional interviews with consecutive patients with Tuberculosis as ill-starred by Erlinger et al. (2019). Secondary data fromWHO was also an important source of data in the study.
Outcome Measures
The cost of TB episodes was measured using a self-report income, care-seeking time, and travel costs. Poverty as an outcome variable in the study was measured using a tool called “South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (SAMPI) deprivation score” (Erlinger et al., 2019). This is a “12-item household-level index” where the high readings on the index indicate high poverty while the lower scores indicate low poverty. Multivariable linear regression analysis was further used in adjusting the age, sex, traveltime, and HUIV status of the respondents.
Results and Conclusions
The study found out that out of the 323 participants considered in the study, 108 of them that presented 33% were deprived. This signified that they gained a deprivation score that was greater than 0.33. For a single unit of deficiency score, the definite TB episode cost was 1.11 times higher (Erlinger et al., 2019). These results implied that people experiencingmultidimensionalpoverty were at higher risk of Tuberculosis than the affluent patients. People recording a declining income on self-report had elevated cost as a percentage of the income from each household but was lower than the absolute costs.
Ethical Issues Associated With the Study
The study went through an approval protocol designed by Witwatersrand University department of Human Research Ethics Committee and the Limpopo Health Research Committee (Erlinger et al., 2019). Each participant received informed consent before the data collection process on the study.
References
Erlinger, S., Stracker, N., Hanrahan, C., Nonyane, S., Mmolawa, L., Tampi, R., … & Dowdy, D. (2019). Tuberculosis patients with higher levels of poverty face equal or greater costs of illness. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 23(11), 1205-1212. https://dx.doi.org/10.5588%2Fijtld.18.0814