Abstract
BackgroundLesotho has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) incidence and TB-HIV co-infection in the world. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and associated factors towards TB in the general population of Lesotho.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis from the Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS) 2014 was carried out among 9247 respondents. We used the chi-square test as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations of socio-demographic variables with respondent knowledge of and attitude towards TB.ResultsThe overall knowledge of TB in the general population of Lesotho was adequate (59.9%). There was a significant difference between female and male respondents regarding knowledge about TB (67.0% vs. 41.8%). Almost 95% of respondents had “heard of an illness called tuberculosis”, and 80.5% knew that TB can be cured. Only 11.5% knew the correct cause of TB (TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Female respondents were relatively aware of TB, knew about the correct cause and mode for transmission of TB and knew that TB is a curable disease compared to male respondents. A higher proportion of respondents (72.8%) had a positive attitude towards TB. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.45, 95% CI: 2.10–2.86; p < 0.001), age (AOR) =1.76, 95% CI: 1.29–2.41; p < 0.001), educational level (AOR = 6.26, 95% CI: 3.90–10.06; p < 0.001), formerly married or cohabitated (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10–1.85; p = 0.008), mass media exposure (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.08–1.64; p = 0.008) and occupation (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.00–1.44; p = 0.049) were strongly associated with respondent knowledge of TB. Sex (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.41; p = 0.034), educational level (AOR = 1.661, 95% CI: 06–2.60; p = 0.028), mass media exposure (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.06–1.62; p = 0.012) and occupation (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04–1.52; p = 0.016) were strongly associated with respondent attitude towards TB.ConclusionStrategies to improve the knowledge of Lesotho’s people about TB should focus on males, young residents, those who are illiterate, those who are unmarried and farmers. Special attention should be given to males, young residents, rural residents, those who are illiterate and farmers to improve their attitude towards TB in Lesotho.
Highlights
Lesotho has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) incidence and TB-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection in the world
11.5% knew the correct cause of TB (TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
Special attention should be given to males, young residents, rural residents, those who are illiterate and farmers to improve their attitude towards TB in Lesotho
Summary
Lesotho has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) incidence and TB-HIV co-infection in the world. A remarkable achievement has been made toward containing the disease, and an estimated 37 million lives have been saved through effective diagnosis and treatment of TB since 2000, TB remains a major health problem globally [1]. Among the estimated 1.8 million deaths due to TB, over 95% occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2015 [2]. From the estimated 1.2 million new HIV-positive TB cases that occurred globally in 2014, almost three-quarters were in the African region [2]. In 2015, among the estimated 1.2 million new cases of TB among people who were HIV-positive, 71% were living in Africa [3]
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