Assessing tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes, practices, and health-seeking behaviours of students at a selected university in South Africa

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health concern in South Africa, particularly among young adults. This study aimed to assess and investigate the attitudes, practices, and health-seeking behaviours of students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) regarding TB. The research provides valuable insights into the awareness of TB among students, their preventive practices, and their healthcare-seeking behaviours related to the disease. A cross-sectional design was employed, utilising a structured questionnaire to collect data from a representative sample of UKZN students on the Howard College campus. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, to summarise responses. Inferential statistics, including chi-square tests, were used to explore associations between variables and assess the knowledge, attitudes, and health-seeking behaviours of respondents. The study, which included 221 postgraduate and undergraduate students, revealed that participants were well aware of the symptoms, causes, and modes of TB transmission. The descriptive analysis indicated that 97.7% of respondents exhibited good knowledge about TB, with a total mean score of 0.977 and a standard deviation of 0.149. However, regarding health-seeking behaviours and practices, 53.4% of respondents demonstrated poor health-seeking behaviours, in contrast to 46.6% who exhibited good practices, with a mean score of 0.466 and a standard deviation of 0.499. Although all respondents indicated they would visit health facilities if they suspected they had TB, there was evidence of low screening practices and suboptimal health-seeking behaviours. Based on these findings, the study suggests leveraging social media to disseminate knowledge about TB to promote its prevention and treatment.