Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37659999›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2023

A qualitative exploration of factors that influence the uptake of tuberculosis services by low-skilled migrant workers in Singapore.

Chuan De Foo, Shishi Wu, Fariha Amin, Natarajan Rajaraman, Alex R Cook, Helena Legido-Quigley

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Strengthening Tuberculosis Control Among Migrant Workers.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.

Chuan De Foo *Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. ephfchu@nus.edu.sg.
Shishi Wu *Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Fariha AminSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Natarajan RajaramanHealthServe Community Clinic, Singapore, Singapore.
Alex R CookSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Helena Legido-QuigleySaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
National University of Singapore · SGHealth Promotion Board · SG

Funding

National Medical Research Council, Singapore NMRC/HSRG/0056/2016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSingapore relies heavily on migrant workers to build its country and harbours a relatively large population of these workers. Importantly, tuberculosis (TB) remains a pernicious threat to the health of these workers and in line with the United Nations High-Level Meeting in 2023, this paper aims to uncover the qualitative discourse facing migrant workers' uptake of TB services and provide policy recommendations to enable more equitable access to TB services for this population.

methodsIn-depth interviews were carried out with the migrant worker population recruited from a non-governmental organisation in Singapore that serves migrant workers through the provision of primary healthcare services, counselling, and social assistance. Interviews stopped once thematic saturation was achieved and no new themes and subthemes were found.

resultsA total of 29 participants were interviewed, including 16 Bangladeshis and 13 Chinese, aged between 22 and 54 years old, all worked in the construction sector. Four key themes emerged. They are (1) General TB knowledge: Misconceptions are prevalent, where we found that participants were aware of the disease but did not possess a clear understanding of its pathophysiology and associated health effects, (2) Contextual knowledge and perception of associated policies related to TB in Singapore: low awareness among migrant workers as participants' accounts depicted a lack of information sources in Singapore especially on issues related to healthcare including TB, (3) Attitude to towards TB: Motivation to seek treatment is underpinned by ability to continue working and (4) Stigma: mixed perception of how society views TB patients. The gaps identified in migrant workers' TB knowledge, their attitude towards the disease and their perception of the availability of TB-related services is despite Singapore's efforts to curb community spread of TB and its proactive initiatives to reduce the prevalence.

conclusionOur study illuminates the various aspects that policymakers need to home in on to ensure this vulnerable group is sufficiently supported and equitably cared for if they develop active TB during their stay in Singapore as they contribute to the nation's economy. Leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic as a window of opportunity to improve overall healthcare access for vulnerable groups in Singapore can be a starting point.

Indexed as

COVID-19Transients and MigrantsTuberculosisAdultHumansMiddle AgedPandemicsSingaporeYoung AdultMigrant workersQualitative studySingaporeTuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID37659999
PMCPMC10475191
OpenAlexW4386387065

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.