Knowledge and Attitude Among Medical and Non-Medical Students Regarding Tuberculosis: A Questionnaire Based Study

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is a major global health concern, ranking as the second most deadly infectious disease. Over 8 million people worldwide develop active TB, with the majority of cases occurring in developing countries. The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance of education in ensuring that medical students graduate with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for effective TB management. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude among medical and non-medical students regarding the tuberculosis. Method: A cross sectional survey was performed among medical and non-medical students. Knowledge and attitude of the participants regarding the tuberculosis were assessed using a validated questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using statistical methods to draw the achieve the study objectives. Results: The data was collected from 300 students, of whom 53% are medical students and 46.7% are non-medical students. Most students in both groups answered correctly that TB is caused by M. tuberculosis, that a persistent cough with sputum is a symptom, that HIV positive people are more at risk, that TB is spread by air, that BCG vaccine can prevent it, and that chest X-ray can diagnose it. However, some students in both groups did not know that not every TB patient needs to be hospitalized and that the standard treatment for new cases of pulmonary TB is a six-month course of four drugs. This shows that some students need more education on these aspects of TB management. Conclusion: The study concluded that more efforts should be made to improve the knowledge of medical students regarding TB transmission and the role of sputum smear in diagnosis, as well as emphasis on the importance of the BCG vaccination.