Knowledge and Practice of TB Patients on TB and its Treatment in AlamataDistrict Tigray Region Northeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) leftovers the leading cause of death among a curable infectious disease, regardless of the availability of short-course therapy that can be both inexpensive and effective. The aim of the present study was to assess the level of knowledge about TB in clients who were initiating anti-TB drug treatment in Alamata District, northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in TB patients who were initiating anti-TB drug treatment in the district. Study participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to evaluate level of knowledge about TB. Data was entered and cleared using SPSS version 16. Results: A total of 200 study participants were interviewed, of whom 116 (58.0%) were male TB patients and 84 (42.0%) female TB patients. Among the study participants, 77.5% were new cases. 50% of them were extra pulmonary TB (EPTB) case, 23.5% were smear-positive pulmonary TB (SPPTB) cases and 26.5% were smearnegative PTB (SNPTB) cases and. The overall knowledge about TB of the study participants was 36.5%. Conclusions: There is significant knowledge breach in the study area among TB patients registered on treatment. Consolidation the awareness of TB patients using health education by health care providers on TB throughout the time of enrollment to treatment possibly will increase patients’ knowledge thus upgrading in treatment outcomes and overall TB control.