Health seeking behavior and clinical profile of superficial fungal infection

Abstract

Introduction: Superficial fungal infection is one of the most common skin problems in Bangladesh. But the patients do not have enough consciousness to seek proper treatment from authorized doctors. Thus, they suffer a long time for wrong treatment. With proper diagnosis and treatment, all types of fungal infection can be cured.

Aim of the study: To assess the health seeking behavior and presenting features of superficial fungal infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of dermatology, US-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from July 2020 to July 2021. Clinical profile and health seeking behavior was seen from clinically and microscopically diagnosed cases of superficial fungal infection. Result: Majority of the study people (28.70%) in this study were in the age group of 21-30 years and the mean age of the study people was 29.44 years (SD±15.72 years) ranged between 6 months to 79 years. Over half the study population (54.82%) were male. In this study, the most prevalent (93.72%) complaint of the study was itching.T. cruris was found in the majority of the participants in this research (80.83 percent). The bulk of the respondents in this research (91.26 percent) had a family member who was afflicted. The sickness lasted 319 days on average (SD 793 days). The highest number of respondents in the survey (42.49 percent) had not seen a doctor. Around half of the study people (54.04%) had taken treatment from pharmacy man. The topical steroid treatment was mostly used (48.76%) by the participant. Most of the participants in this research (60.09 percent) had used medium-potency topical steroids.

Conclusion: T. cruris is the commonest type of superficial fungal infection. Pruritus was present in almost all of the patients with fungal infection. Most of the patients have the tendency of self-medication and seeking advice from pharmacy dispensers (medicine shop) and misuse of medium potent topical steroid for superficial fungal infection.

Keyword: Health seeking behaviors, superficial fungal infection.