Table 2 Detailed methods based on COREQ Checklist

Domain 1: Research team and reflexivity

Which author/s conducted the interview or focus group?

The co-author participated in the interviews and focus groups.

Interviews and focus groups were conducted by two contracted data collectors from the affected communities.

Interviews and focus groups were conducted by 12 contracted data collectors, mainly from the affected communities.

The co-author participated in the interviews and focus groups.

Did the gender of the interviewers match the gender of the interviewees?

No.

No, the two persons conducting interviews and facilitating focus groups were women.

No, all interviews were conducted by women.

Yes.

Where focus groups were not mixed, did the gender of the focus group facilitators match the gender of the focus group participants?

No.

No.

No, most moderators in focus groups were women.

Yes.

What experience and training did the interviewers have?

Interviewers were social workers, peer-educators with experience of working with TB key populations and conducting interviews. No extra training was provided. Interviewers belonged to the populations affected by TB. None of the interviewers had a history of TB.

One day training on interviewing and focus group facilitation was provided. The interviewers were employed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of TB.

One day training on interviewing and focus group facilitation was provided. The interviewers were employed by NGOs active in the field of TB, persons with a history of TB.

Interviewers were gender specialists, with experience in interviewing.

What experience and training did focus group facilitators have?

Facilitators were social workers, peer-educators with experience of working with TB risk groups and conducting focus groups.

One day training on interviewing and focus group facilitation was provided. Both female facilitators had personal experience of TB.

One day training on interviewing and focus group facilitation was provided. The facilitators were employed by NGOs active in the field of TB, including persons with a history of TB.

Facilitators received training. Skilled and experienced facilitators were selected for focus group discussions.

Relationship with participants

Relationship established: Was a relationship established prior to study commencement?

Some of the respondents were beneficiaries of the NGOs that employed the interviewers.

Some participants had pre-established relations with the facilitator.

Some of the respondents were beneficiaries of the NGOs that employed the interviewers.

No.

Participant knowledge of the interviewer: What did the participants know about the researcher.

Participants did not have specific knowledge about the interviewer.

Participants knew that the interviewer had a history of TB.

Participants did not have specific knowledge about the interviewer.

Participants did not have specific knowledge about the interviewer.

Other characteristics about the inter viewer/facilitator.

None.

None.

None.

None.

Domain 2: Study design

Theoretical framework

Barriers were analyzed along the stages that a person with TB goes through. The stage of diagnosis is preceded by the stage of symptoms recognition and the stage of seeking health care.

Methodological orientation

Discourse analysis.

Participant selection

Sampling: How were participants selected?

Participants were selected on purposive basis: some from the TB registry and some were beneficiaries the NGOs or were recommended by other respondents based on the “snowball method”.

Participants were selected on purposive basis: some from the TB registry and some were beneficiaries the NGOs or were recommended by other respondents based on the “snowball method”.

Purposive and convenience methods used: some based on the NGOs territorial coverage: some from the TB registry.

Participants were selected on purposive basis: for focus groups by the NGOs that provided them with services and for the interviews - from on the TB registry to have equal numbers of men and women and those who were still on anti-TB treatment or had completed treatment by the time of the interview.

Method of approach: How were participants approached?

In case the participant was a beneficiary, they were approached face-to-face while receiving service at NGO premises grounds or were contacted by phone. Participants proposed based on TB registry were contacted by phone.

Face-to-face.

The recruitment of study participants was led by the NGOs using mostly telephone and face – to – face method of approach.

By telephone, email and personally through NGOs and TB doctors.

Sample size interviews

30

30

6

20

Number of focus groups and (number of participants)

2 (16)

4 (44)

4 (27)

11 (140)

Non-participation: How many people refused to participate or dropped out? Reasons?

Approximately one third, the main reason for non-participation was not wanting to hear about the disease again.

Unidentified number of people refused, women mostly referred to lack of time and the need to take care of children.

Approximately one third, due to various reasons such as personal reasons or competing priorities.

Several women with TB refused to participate because of fear of stigmatization.

Setting

Setting of data collection: Where was the data collected?

At NGO premises.

Interviews were at TB clinic, HIV Center or NGO premises.

Focus groups were also conducted at the locations convenient for the focus group participants.

At participants’ homes, NGO premises or TB facilities.

At NGO premises or at TB clinics.

Presence of nonparticipants: Was anyone else present besides the participants and interviewer/ facilitator and note taker?

No.

No.

No.

No.

Description of sample

People affected by TB/people with a history of TB.

Dates of data collection

November – December 2019.

November 2019 – January 2020.

November – December 2021.

December 2019 – January 2020.

Data collection

Interview guide

The interview guides were based on a generic tool, developed by the Stop TB Partnership; the interview and focus group guides were translated and adjusted to be relevant to the conductions of each participating country.

Was the interview /focus group guide piloted in your country?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Repeat interviews

There were no repeat interviews.

Recording: did the research use audio or visual recording to collect the data?

Audio recording was used.

Audio recording was used.

Audio and video recording were used.

Audio recording was used.

Field notes: Were field notes made during and/or after the interview or focus group?

Notes were taken by the assistant during the focus-groups. In case of interviews notes were made during the interview and after based on the recording.

Field notes taken during the interview or focus group.

Field notes taken during the interview or focus group.

Field notes taken during the interview or focus group.

Duration: What was the duration of the interviews?

Approximately 40 min.

Approximately 40 min.

Approximately 30–53 min.

Approximately 40–60 min.

Duration: What was the duration of the focus group?

Approximately 70 min.

Approximately up to 120 min.

Approximately 47–90 min.

6 Approximately 60–80 min.

Data saturation

Was not discussed, a fixed number of interviews/focus groups was pre-defined and carried out.

Transcripts returned to participants

The transcripts were not returned to participants for comment and/or correction.

Domain 3: analysis and

findings

Data analysis

Data was analyzed by the country-based collaborating authors and their teams according to pre-defined stages (symptom recognition, health care seeing and obtaining a correct diagnosis) and gender-related factors and barriers encountered by people with TB at each stage.

Number of data coders

1

1

1

1

Description of the coding tree

Was not provided.

Derivation of themes

The main themes were identified in advance, minor themes were derived from the data.

Software

No qualitative data analysis software was used.

Participant checking

Participants did not provide feedback on the findings.

Reporting

Quotations presented: were participant quotations presented to illustrate the themes/findings?

Was each quotation identified?

Participant quotations were presented to illustrate the themes/findings; each quotation was not identified, except for gender and age.

Participant quotations were presented to illustrate the themes/findings; each quotation was not identified.

Participant quotations were presented to illustrate the themes/findings; each quotation was identified with an interviewer initials and the participant number for interviews, the location and date for focus groups.

Participant quotations were presented to illustrate the themes/findings; each quotation was not identified.

Data and findings consistent: was there consistency between the data presented and the findings?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Clarity of major themes: were major themes clearly presented in the findings?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Clarity of minor themes: is there a description of diverse cases or discussion of minor themes?

No.

No.

No.

No.