An insight from National Family Health Surveys on changing trends in prevalence and knowledge regarding T.B. in India

Abstract

Background/objectivesAddressing gaps in knowledge about T.B. is a vital component of T.B.'s elimination to achieve the End T.B. strategy by 2025 in India. The present study compares the correct knowledge regarding T.B. by analysis of the nationally-representative secondary data of NFHS-4 (2015–16) and NFHS-5 (2019–20) data in India. MethodsNFHS-4 and NFHS-5 secondary data on eleven T.B.-related questions analysis was done after seeking permission to use datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program—sociodemographic details and Responses exported and analysed using M.S. Excel. Descriptive variables were represented as frequency and percentages. Z tests for proportions were used to compare and determine differences between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 knowledge. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05. ResultsThe correct knowledge regarding T.B. significantly rose from 457,399 (56.3%) in NFHS-4 to 507,517 (61.4%) in NFHS-5. However, a significant increase in incorrect knowledge about the other modes of transmission of T.B. and T.B. courtesy stigma in households from 95,985 (13.4%) in 2015-16 to 113,978 (14.9%) in 2019-20 was observed. ConclusionsThe correct knowledge of T.B. has significantly increased from NFHS-4 (2015–16) to NFHS-5 (2019–20). However, there is a significant increase in incorrect knowledge regarding the modes of transmission and stigmatising attitudes towards T.B. through improvement in the communication efforts in the National T.B. Elimination Programme (NTEP).