Knowledge Of Tuberculosis Research Articles

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

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.

Knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers related to directly observed treatment, short-course among patients and caregivers attending tuberculosis clinics: a cross-sectional survey.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major worldwide health problem, particularly in India, where it accounts for a quarter of infections. Adherence to the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS), which is necessary for TB treatment, is difficult in resource-limited circumstances. This study addressed the knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers related to TB and DOTS adherence among patients and caregivers. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at the selected TB clinics between November 2023 and March 2024. Purposive sample yielded 180 patients and 217 caregivers. Data were obtained using validated, self-structured questionnaires that assessed knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers to TB and DOTS adherence. Statistical analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS version 23.0. The study found that caregivers had considerably greater TB knowledge than patients (p<0.05). Many patients misunderstood the cause of TB (50.6%) and embraced various misconceptions about the disease, such as TB spreading by shaking hands or sharing food, swimming in a holy river to cure diseases, and TB being the result of sin or karmic retribution. Distance to treatment facilities (95.6%), the necessity to take time off from work (91.7%), and social stigma (65.0%) were identified as the top three barriers to DOTS adherence. The study highlighted considerable gaps in knowledge, distant healthcare facilities, busy work schedules, and social stigma as barriers to TB treatment adherence in Deoghar, Jharkhand. Addressing these challenges via focused education and support activities is essential for enhancing DOTS adherence and TB treatment outcomes.

Exploring Barriers to Timely Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis in Selangor, Malaysia: A Qualitative Study.

Tuberculosis (TB) occurs as one of the highest in the state of Selangor, Malaysia and its causes are currently underexplored especially from patients' perspectives of the disease. This study assesses perspectives from patients in relations to determinants of delayed presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of TB. The study utilises a qualitative methodology involving focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with patients selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The research covered components which include social demographic, sociocultural factors, health-seeking behaviors, social support and resources, previous knowledge and experience as a TB patient, and treatment pathway. Thematic analysis was performed using NVivo 12 analysis software to interpret the data. This study aims to identify key barriers and facilitators of prompt presentation and diagnosis of TB patients. Results revealed that socioeconomic status, challenges faced during TB diagnosis and treatment, knowledge of TB, patient and healthcare-related factors, and health-seeking behaviours were the main emerging themes. Improvements are required in the areas of access to healthcare facilities, minimizing cost, providing specific clinics and proximity of health facilities to facilitate a prompt response, increasing capacity to isolate infected persons, and provision of adequate treatment. It is revealed that financial constraints, inaccessibility and long distance to healthcare facilities, poor knowledge of TB, and lack of family and social support contributed to delayed TB presentation and diagnosis. Findings from this study can be utilized to develop effective, locally tailored interventions to address delayed presentation and diagnosis of TB patients in the nation.

Patient delay, diagnosis delay, and treatment outcomes among migrant patients with tuberculosis in Shanghai, China, 2018-2020: a mixed-methods study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine patient delay, diagnosis delay and treatment performance among patients with tuberculosis (TB) in Shanghai, China in 2018–2020 focusing on disparities between migrant and local patients...

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards tuberculosis: results of a community-based survey in the Karamoja subregion, North Eastern Uganda

BackgroundThe Karamoja subregion in north-eastern Uganda has very high Tuberculosis (TB)case notification rates and, until recently, had suboptimal treatment completion rates among patients diagnosed with TB. We evaluated community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards Tuberculosis in order to identify barriers to TB control in this region.MethodsFrom September to October 2022, we conducted a community-based survey in four districts in the Karamoja subregion. We collected data on TB knowledge, attitudes, and practices using a structured electronic questionnaire. We generated knowledge, attitude and practice scores. We used a survey-weighted zero-truncated modified Poisson model to assess the association between knowledge/attitude scores and respondents’ characteristics and a complementary log-log model to assess the association between practice scores and respondents’ characteristics. Data analysis was carried out using STATA version 14.ResultsA total of 1927 respondents were interviewed. Of these, 55.5% were female, and 1320 (68.6%) had no formal education. Overall, 68.5% 95% CI (59.6–76.7%) had knowledge scores of ≥ 60%. Higher TB knowledge scores were associated with being employed (adjusted prevalence ratio, aPR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.04–1.42, p = 0.01) while being a wife in a household was associated with lower TB knowledge (aPR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.82–0.99, p = 0.03). Being 25–34 years old was associated with a positive attitude towards TB (PR = 1.06, 1.01–1.11, p = 0.01). Over 85% of respondents would go to the health facility immediately if they had TB signs and symptoms. Almost all respondents (98.6%) would start TB treatment immediately if diagnosed with the disease.ConclusionMore than two thirds of patients had good knowledge and practices towards TB which can be leveraged to improve uptake of TB control interventions in the region. Additional interventions to improve TB knowledge and practice should focus on specific segments within the communities e.g., older women in the households.

The Impact Of Clients' Knowledge On Compliance With Anti-Tuberculosis Medication At Home

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, namely acid-fast bacteria. Successful treatment of patients with tuberculosis (TB) is a problem in today's society. One of the reasons for the increase in pulmonary TB cases is the low level of education of sufferers. One of the causes of failure of tuberculosis treatment therapy is the side effects of anti-tuberculosis drugs (OAT) which can affect the adherence to medication in tuberculosis patients. The success of TB treatment is compliance in taking anti-tuberculosis medication at the prescribed dose. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between clients' knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis and compliance with taking anti-pulmonary tuberculosis medication at Harapan Pematang Siantar Hospital. This research was conducted at Harapan Pematangsiantar Hospital in May 2023. This type of research is descriptive quantitative correlational with a cross-sectional approach. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire with the Gutman scale. The population of this study was all outpatient clinic patients at Harapan Pematang Siantar Hospital in October-December 2022. The sampling technique was accidental sampling, namely 58 respondents who came in May 2023. Statistical test results used the chi square test with a confidence level of 95% (α = 0.05) shows the p value = 0.001, meaning that there is a relationship between the level of knowledge of tuberculosis clients and compliance with taking anti-tuberculosis medication at Harapan Pematang Siantar Hospital in 2023

Initiation of Increasing Tuberculosis Medication Supervisors Roles: An Action Research Approach

Indonesia is ranked second in the number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide. TB patients and their families experience a complex burden. Hence, support and strengthening TB medication supervisors (Pengawas Minum Obat/ PMO) role is needed. The aim of this study was to enhance the Community Health Center (CHC)-based PMOs’ role by improving their knowledge and strengthening peer group support. The method used was an action research cycle with four stages. The diagnosis stage was carried out by consensus decision making group with CHC to determine priority problems, namely the need to increase basic knowledge of TB and its treatment. Optimizing peer group was also necessary, as the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 showed that more PMOs from patient families have psychological problems than cadres. The planning stage was conducted by preparing educational sessions and creating educational media. The action stage was a quasi-experimental (without control, non-randomization)—an educational talk show provided by the TB program manager, pulmonologist, and psychiatrist. Peer groups are also activated by triggering shared media education and discussion. At the evaluation stage, knowledge was measured by giving pre and post-tests (n= 21, total sampling). The results of the analysis using the Wilcoxon's Signed Ranks Test showed that participants' knowledge had increased significantly (p=0.000; r=0.59). In conclusion, education can increase PMO knowledge as an initial step to strengthen their role in supporting the success of TB treatment. Innovation, cross-sector assistance, and support are needed to enable the PMO to succeed in the TB program.

Improving Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence: The role of patient knowledge in Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia

Background: With 10 million cases around the world, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has been classified as a highly contagious disease and mostly affecting low and middle countries. Having the second highest incident cases in West Java of Indonesia, Cirebon becomes a challenging city in order to reduce the number of TB cases in the country. Aims: This study aims to identify the patients’ knowledge and treatment phases, and how the two factors encourage patients to comply with their medication. Methods : This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 91 new pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the Cirebon City Community Lung Health Centre, selected using random sampling. Not only respondent characteristics, but also data on the patients' knowledge levels, treatment phases, and medication adherence were collected using a questionnaire and medical records. To assess the relationship between these variables, the collected data was then analyzed using the Spearman Correlation test. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Commission, and informed consent was gathered from all participants. Results: This study reveals the most updated characteristics of the Tuberculosis patients at the Cirebon City Community Lung Health Center aged 15-64 years old with treatment duration ranged 1-6 months. The majority have insufficient knowledge about tuberculosis (45.1%), and 75.8% of patients adhered to their prescribed medication regimen, regardless of their knowledge level. The data indicates a significant positive correlation between knowledge level and medication adherence (p = 0.015), with 95% of patients with good knowledge adhering to treatment compared to only 34% with poor knowledge. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between adherence and treatment duration (p = 0.002), as 85% of patients who adhered to treatment did so for more than two months. Conclusion: The study shows that patients with better knowledge of tuberculosis are more likely to stick to their medication, which also leads to longer treatment durations. Given the high incidence of TB in the region, these findings suggest the need for targeted educational programs to enhance patients' understanding of TB, thereby improving adherence to treatment protocols. Received: 20 May 2024, Reviewed: 09 June 2024, Revised: 26 August 2024, Accepted: 30 August 2024.

Influence of tuberculosis knowledge on acceptance of preventive treatment and the moderating role of tuberculosis stigma among China’s general population: cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundPreventive treatment of tuberculosis infection (TBI) is considered a crucial strategy to prevent and control tuberculosis (TB). However, the acceptance and completion rates of preventive therapy for TBI are still far from optimistic. Evidence is mounting that TB knowledge and stigma may have a substantial effect on acceptance of TBI treatment. This study aimed to explore the effect of stigma on the relationship between the level of TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment.Methods7017 general population were included in the study. We adjusted for the covariates at the individual. Stepwise logistic regression was used to examine the moderating role of TB stigma and also explore the association between TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment.ResultsThe acceptance rate of TBI treatment among the respondents was 84.38% (n = 5921). Among respondents, a significant positive correlation between acceptance of TBI treatment and TB knowledge (OR = 1.096,95%CI = 1.073,1.118). Additionally, the association between TB knowledge and acceptance of TBI treatment was found to be moderated by TB stigma. In other words, TB stigma was found to weaken the impact of TB knowledge on acceptance of TBI treatment (OR = 0.994,95%CI = 0.991,0.996).ConclusionThe findings of the study indicated that having a high level of awareness about TB can enhance the general population’s acceptability of TBI treatment. TB stigma moderated this association; it weakened the relationship between TB knowledge and individuals’ willingness to accept TBI treatment. To mitigate TB stigma and enhance the intention of individuals with TBI to accept preventive therapy, it is imperative to enhance TB-related health education.

Evaluating tuberculosis knowledge and awareness of effective control practices among health care workers in primary- and secondary-level medical institutions in Beijing, China

ObjectiveInadequate tuberculosis (TB) knowledge and awareness of proper TB control practices among health care workers (HCWs) may increase the risk of nosocomial TB transmission. This study aimed to assess HCWs’ TB-related knowledge and control practices to guide the development of more effective targeted TB health education and training programs.MethodsIn January 2023 a cross-sectional survey was administered to 323 HCWs employed by five primary health care centers and three secondary comprehensive medical institutions in Beijing, China. Survey data were collected using a standard questionnaire.ResultsAnalysis of survey responses revealed TB knowledge and practices awareness rates of 60.4% and 90.6%, respectively. The overall average awareness rate across all 19 TB knowledge- and practice-related questions was 70.0%. Intermediate- and senior-level HCW’s average TB knowledge score was respectively 2.225 and 8.175 times higher than that of primary-level HCWs, while the average TB knowledge score of HCWs in secondary comprehensive medical institutions was 3.052 times higher than that of HCWs in primary health care centers. Higher average TB knowledge score correlated with higher-level professional titles and higher level work units, but higher average TB control practices score correlated with employment at primary health care center rather than secondary comprehensive medical institution. Notably, 13.6% of HCWs had not received TB training during the past three years, while 86.1% expressed willingness to undergo online TB training.ConclusionThese findings highlight inadequate TB knowledge and awareness of proper TB control practices among HCWs in primary health care centers and secondary comprehensive medical institutions in Beijing, underscoring the urgent need for targeted educational and training initiatives to improve TB awareness and control efforts.

Using a Knowledge and Awareness Survey to Engage and Inform a Community-Based Tuberculosis Intervention among Nomads in Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Nomadic populations are frequently isolated and vulnerable to diseases including tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to limited access to health-related information and services, poverty, and social exclusion. We designed and implemented community-driven and -based outreach for TB and HIV based on the results of a TB knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) survey in Adamawa, Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study on KAP among nomads using an adapted WHO survey. A TB and HIV community-level active case-finding intervention among nomadic populations was planned and delivered based on the KAP survey results. Among 81 respondents, 26 (32.1%) knew what caused TB. More than 60% reported no health facilities in their community. Radio and healthcare workers were primary sources of information on health. Using community input, we developed and broadcasted radio jingles to sensitize people to TB services. Outreach initiatives led to the verbal screening of 61,891 individuals and 306 were diagnosed with TB. Additionally, 4489 people underwent HIV testing, and 69 were HIV-positive, all of whom were linked to treatment. The results of KAP surveys can inform the design of evidence-based TB and HIV community-driven and -based case-finding interventions in rural Nigeria among nomadic populations.

Alberta hunter knowledge and beliefs about the threat of zoonotic diseases in Canadian wood bison

ABSTRACT We evaluated whether knowledge of zoonotic diseases is related to beliefs about the threat of those diseases in wood bison. An online questionnaire of Alberta hunters (n = 239) was primarily conducted through the provincial government’s hunter licensing system. Respondent knowledge of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis in Canada was limited and non-linearly related to threat beliefs. Higher knowledge was associated with believing the diseases are or are not a threat to human health rather than being unsure. Respondents were clustered based on their agreement that the diseases are threats to personal health. The Strongly Disagree cluster had significantly higher knowledge than the Neutral cluster. The Higher Agreement cluster had higher knowledge than the Neutral and lower knowledge than the Strongly Disagree clusters, but these differences were not significant. Results highlight how conflict could arise if increasing disease knowledge is assumed to lead to specific changes in disease threat-related beliefs.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Instagram to Assess Quality and Reliability of Information Regarding Tuberculosis

Background: Tuberculosis is one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans and a major cause of death worldwide. The National Strategic Plan 2017-2025 aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025. Appraising knowledge and awareness of tuberculosis are essential for successful tuberculosis control, given the significance of social and psychological variables in determining health outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted wherein, the top six hashtags related to “Tuberculosis” on Instagram, identified by the maximum number of posts were taken. A questionnaire was made for assessment of these posts based on various pre-determined categories- type of post, type of information circulated and to assess if it is “true”, “false” or “cannot be determined” using the WHO Factsheet on Tuberculosis &amp; CDC. Result: A total of 370 posts were found to be relevant according to the inclusion criteria and had vast user interaction These posts created and uploaded by the health and wellness industry comprised of 27.02%, followed by doctors at 20.27% and news agencies at 5.96%. 50.54% of the posts analyzed contained a description of tuberculosis and 20% about prevalence and diagnosis The posts by doctors and health and wellness industry had a statistically significant higher number of posts that contained “true” information and scored statistically significantly higher on the mean of Global Quality Scores and Reliability Scores. Conclusion: Social media is a powerful medium for disseminating scientific facts on TB. The government and policymakers need to develop internet-based programs and interventions to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards TB.

Valuation of knowledge, attitude, practices of tuberculosis among the health care workers from Islamabad Pakistan

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) as a foremost infectious disease adds massive burden to morbidity and mortality rate, despite of well-structured TB control programs around the globe. Inappropriate health care management system and poor implementation on standard in relevance to TB, remain some reasons causative to TB prevalence and its rising antimicrobial resistance. Health Care Workers (HCWs) laboring as a part of TB control system, are the vital warriors in achieving the goals of TB End Strategy by 2035. Their performance is influenced by their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward this infectious disease. This study aimed to signify the role of KAP score of health care Workers in the better control and prevention of TB in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Pakistan. MethodsA cross-sectional study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice study of Tuberculosis (TB) among health care Workers, was done in ICT, which is the capital of Pakistan. The KAP of TB was collected for the 306 Health Care Workers from all the Islamabad TB referring health facilities which refer the TB patients for testing to the National Reference Laboratory, Islamabad Pakistan. Eligible health care workers were requested to respond on KAP questionnaire after informed consent. KAP questionnaire comprised of knowledge, attitude, and practices section including demographic information. All the data was analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics 21. One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to calculate KAP mean score against different variables. On the significant data sets of ANOVA output, Tukey's Multiple Comparison Test was applied for pairwise comparison. Pearson correlation coefficient was utilized to explore the association between two qualitative variables. The non-parametric tests were applied to evaluate difference of KAP score in relation to demographic covariates individually. ResultsFrom June to July 2023, we conducted TB KAP study among Health Care Workers of ICT, Pakistan. The average age was 33 years (range 26–30 years). Majority of the recruited subjects were not being trained for dealing with TB infection. The results demonstrated that Health Care Workers working were lacking their knowledge about mode of TB transmission, best diagnostic technique, and contraction of TB infections. The mean knowledge, attitude and practices mean scores were 15.05 (SD = 3.96), 83.68 (SD = 15.74) and 6.31 (SD = 2.21), respectively. Mean knowledge score of Health Care Workers were significantly related to their educational level and occupation while no significant association was declared with working experience as TB staff. Pearson coefficient of attitude score with knowledge of Health Care Workers was of weak level (0.28). Practice mean score was correlated to knowledge mean score at a moderate level (r = 0.40). On the other hand, practice score was r = 0.29 with attitude mean score had shown weak level correlation. A number of demographic factors were strongly linked to each of the mean score of knowledge, attitude, and practices. ConclusionThese findings highlighted the significant involvement of education, profession, and professional trainings in the better knowledge, attitude, and practices of the TB related health care Workers. For a better management system of infectious diseases like TB, a well-trained and professionally competent staff of Health Care Workers is important so as to achieve the goal of TB-End strategy by 2035 from Pakistan, which is the 5th highest burden country for TB.

Associations of community knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to zoonotic disease with sociodemographic factors in and around Chiro Town, Eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundZoonoses are infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. Studying the knowledge, perceptions and practices of communities related to zoonoses and the associated risk factors is crucial for effective control and prevention. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of respondents on zoonoses and the associated risk factors in and around Chiro town, Ethiopia. Zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, and brucellosis, pose a direct threat to health and livelihoods in the communities where they occur. These diseases emerge due to a combination of human-animal interactions, migration, and contact with wildlife and their respective parasites and vectors. Hence, recognizing residents’ perceptions, knowledge, and practices is crucial for effectively minimizing risks.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to July 2021 in and around Chiro town using a pretested close-ended questionnaire. A total of 350 respondents were selected using simple random sampling methods. The questionnaire included information on the sociodemographic status of the respondents and questions concerning the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of the participants regarding the selected zoonotic diseases. The associations of knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to zoonoses with zoonotic risk factors were analysed using chi-square tests.ResultsThe study revealed that 82.9% of the respondents had knowledge of bovine tuberculosis, followed by knowledge of rabies (80%), knowledge of anthrax (45.1%), and knowledge of brucellosis (24.3%). Males had greater knowledge of bovine tuberculosis (84.8%), followed by rabies (79.8%) and anthrax (48.6%), while females had greater knowledge of brucellosis (23.6%). The most cited source of information was radio (68%). Most respondents mentioned the outbreaks of rabies (62.5%), bovine tuberculosis (53.2%), anthrax (35.6%), and brucellosis (15.7%). Respondents with higher educational levels and urban residents had more knowledge of zoonoses. More than 75% of respondents had a good perception of the transmission of zoonotic disease from animals, and the practice of consuming raw milk or raw/undercooked meat and sharing the same house with animals was high.ConclusionThe majority of respondents reported that they had knowledge of bovine tuberculosis and rabies, but lower knowledge and perceptions were reported for anthrax and brucellosis. These findings illustrate the need for collaboration among animal, human and environmental health offices in one health approach to prevent and control zoonotic disease.

Knowledge of tuberculosis among physicians working at community health stations in Vietnam

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant health problem worldwide, including in Vietnam, where around 174,000 newly diagnosed cases and 13,200 patients died in 2018. There are challenges in the diagnostic process, treatment, and follow-up. The physicians with knowledge of TB working at commune health stations play an essential role in this struggle. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge of TB and related factors among physicians working at community health stations in the Northern provinces of Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey was implemented on 335 physicians working at community health stations in 5 Northern provinces in Vietnam from September 2019 to October 2020. The result showed that the TB knowledge of physicians was not good. There were some severe knowledge gaps concerning at-risk groups, the main symptoms of TB, sputum tests for both diagnosis and follow-up and management of attack therapy. The TB training participants had better TB knowledge than others (aOR=1.68; 95%CI: 1.047-2.712). This study underlines the importance of clinical experience and TB training to TB knowledge. We suggest that a TB training plan is required for physicians. Our survey results could inform the process of defining the physicians who work at community health stations' role in TB management in the future.

Association of Sociodemographic Factors in Affecting the Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviour of Tuberculosis and HIV in Malang: A Community-Based Study in Rural Area

Background: Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among people with HIV. In Indonesia, the Tuberculosis prevalence in 2021 stood at 969,000 cases with an average of 354 cases per 100,000 people. Nevertheless, tuberculosis is often neglected by many people, whereas in fact, it is a preventable and curable disease. This study aims to assess the knowledge, perception, behaviour, and screening for tuberculosis and their association with sociodemographic factors in a rural area of Malang, Indonesia. Method: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted. The subjects of this study were adults (≥18 years old) who could comprehend the Indonesian language. We included 462 individuals who were chosen randomly by a multistage stratified sampling technique in rural areas of Malang, Indonesia. A validated questionnaire was asked to be filled in by participants, which were selected randomly using a multistage stratified sampling technique. Collected data were analyzed on SPSS for Windows version 25.0 Results: This study found that most (59.77%) of adults from the study area are still unaware of tuberculosis infection, transmission, prevention, and its risk factors. Only 1.2% were aware of the importance of screening if they had contact with positive tuberculosis patients. Participants in the age groups of 61 to 70 and over 70 years old were 5.5 and 4.0 times more likely to exhibit unsatisfactory behaviour compared to those in the 27 to 30 age group. Conclusion: This study shows that knowledge, perceptions, behaviours and tuberculosis screening toward tuberculosis are still lacking in rural communities in Malang and showed that participant on younger age and higher educational subjects has better knowledge, behaviour, perception and screening towards Tuberculosis and HIV.

Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Tuberculosis Preventive Behaviors Among Tuberculosis Patients' Household Contacts During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Border Areas of Northern Thailand.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has exacerbated the rate of tuberculosis (TB) infection among close contacts of TB patients in remote regions. However, research on preventive behaviors, guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), among household contacts of TB cases is scarce. This study aimed to employ the HBM as a framework to predict TB preventive behaviors among household contacts of TB patients in the border areas of Northern Thailand. A cross-sectional study with multi-stage random sampling was conducted in Chiang Rai Province. The study included 422 TB patients' household contacts aged 18 years or older who had available chest X-ray (CXR) results. A self-administered questionnaire was used to conduct the survey. The participants' mean age was 42.93 years. Pearson correlation analysis showed that TB preventive behavior scores were significantly correlated with TB knowledge (r=0.397), perceived susceptibility (r=0.565), perceived severity (r=0.452), perceived benefits (r=0.581), self-efficacy (r=0.526), and cues to action (r=0.179). Binary logistic regression revealed that the modeled odds of having an abnormal CXR decreased by 30.0% for each 1-point score increase in preventive behavior (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.79). HBM constructs were able to explain preventive behaviors among TB patients' household contacts. The HBM could be used in health promotion programs to improve TB preventive behaviors and avoid negative outcomes.

An evaluation of the validity and reliability of the tuberculosis patient knowledge questionnaire

Background: Poor knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) patients on tuberculosis affects adherence. It is necessary to measure patient awareness of the disease and treatment to assess the extent to which patients know about the disease and its treatment. A good questionnaire has been tested for validity and reliability. Currently, some studies need to show the validity process of the TB knowledge questionnaire directly. Objective: To measure the validity and reliability of the tuberculosis patient knowledge questionnaire. Method: Accidental sampling was used in the research approach. By comparing the corrected item-total item values, the construct validity and reliability of the final knowledge questionnaire were evaluated. Additionally, an internal consistency test with an alpha coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha) was used to assess the questionnaire’s reliability. Result: A total of 93 respondents were picked from different Bengkulu healthcare centers. The validity test results indicate the corrected item-total item &gt; 0.30. According to the findings of the reliability test, Cronbach's alpha &gt; 0.60 throughout. Conclusion: This study proves the validity and reliability of the knowledge questionnaire as a tool for measuring knowledge.

Study of Relationship between the Knowledge and Attitude of Tuberculosis (TB) Patients about Drug Compliance at the Health Centre

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most often attacks various organs, especially the lungs. This study aimed to determine the relationship between knowledge and TB patients' attitudes toward compliance with tuberculosis drugs at the Helvetia Medan Health Center. This type of research used an analytical observational method with the cross-sectional approach. The sampling technique used was quota sampling, with 75 respondents. Data collection in this study used to form sheets in questionnaires given to respondents directly and data analysis using the chi-square test. The results showed that respondents with good knowledge were 29 respondents (38.7%), good enough 33 respondents (44%), not good enough 12 respondents (16%), and not good one respondent (1.3%). A good attitude was 23 respondents (30.7%), good enough 37 respondents (49.3%), not good enough 14 respondents (18.7%), and not good one respondent (1.3%). Obedient compliance to TB medication was 25 respondents (33.3%), quite obedient 33 respondents (44%), and less obedient 17 respondents (22.7%). This study concluded that knowledge and attitude had a significant relationship with adherence to tuberculosis medication, with a knowledge p-value of 0.003 &lt;0.05 and an attitude p-value of 0.037 &lt;0.05. Healthcare professionals must employ innovative strategies to enhance knowledge and attitudes, raise public awareness, and ensure full compliance with the TB treatment program. It is crucial to implement this measure to mitigate the future prevalence of antibiotic resistance in treating tuberculosis.