Abstract
IntroductionNigeria is among six countries responsible for the majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world. The Nigerian government has emphasized community-based case finding to increase detection of TB. This process requires efforts to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of TB, particularly in the poorest of communities. This study presents data from a KAP survey administered in two underserved Nigerian communities.Methodsa structured survey was administered by trained interviewers among adult residents in two slum communities in Lagos, Nigeria. Participants were selected through multistage random sampling. KAP scores were computed and the predictors of higher scores were assessed.Resultsa total of 504 respondents were surveyed. The mean KAP scores were relatively low: 9.8 ± 7.1 for knowledge (out of a maximum 34), 5.3 ± 3.4 for attitude (maximum = 10), and 5.2 ± 1.5 for practice (maximum = 7). The predictors of good knowledge were increasing age, post secondary education and professional occupation. The predictors of positive attitude were post secondary education and good TB knowledge. Good knowledge was a predictor of good practiceConclusionour findings underscore the need to improve the education about TB in underserved communities. Improving KAP scores will ultimately lead to higher rates of TB detection and treatment.
Highlights
Nigeria is among six countries responsible for the majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world
The least proportion (14.5%) of respondents knew that diabetics are at greater risk of TB followed by 34.3% who knew that people living with HIV were at greater risk
A quarter were aware of a health facility for TB diagnosis and treatment in their local government areas (LGAs) while 11.1% and 9.1% knew of free diagnosis and free treatment for TB respectively
Summary
Nigeria is among six countries responsible for the majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world. The Nigerian government has emphasized community-based case finding to increase detection of TB. This process requires efforts to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of TB, in the poorest of communities. Poor communities are more vulnerable to TB because of lack of awareness, overcrowded and substandard living conditions, poor nutrition, intercurrent disease, and economic, geographical, social and cultural barriers to accessing TB services [8, 9] To address these issues, the Nigerian government has emphasized community-based case finding with a goal of increasing detection of presumptive TB cases referred by community volunteers between 2013 and 2014 from 11% to 23% [6]. To examine the current level of knowledge and attitude in the "End TB Strategy" era with the goal of guiding future interventions, we evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and practices in two vulnerable communities in Nigeria
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