TUBERCULOSIS BELIEFS AMONG RECENT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN NEW-YORK-STATE

Objective. To identify newly arrived Vietnamese refugees' beliefs abou t tuberculosis (TB) and TB education needs. Methods. In 1994, the New York State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and P revention conducted a survey of 51 newly arrived adult Vietnamese refu gees in two New York counties. After being trained in interview method s, two bilingual researchers asked 32 open-ended questions on the caus es of TB, TB treatment, and the disease's impact on work and social re lationships. Results. Respondents correctly viewed TB as an infectious lung disease with symptoms such as cough, weakness, and weight loss. Hard manual labor, smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition we re believed to be risk factors. Many respondents incorrectly believed that asymptomatic latent infection is not possible and that infection inevitably leads to disease. Nearly, all respondents anticipated that having tuberculosis would adversely impact their work family, and comm unity activities and relationships. Conclusions. Targeted patient educ ation is needed to address misconceptions about TB among Vietnamese re fugees and to help ensure adherence to presribed treatment regimens.