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Epidemiology International Journal Research Article 11 min read

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Tb Transmission and Prevention among the Communities in Holeta Town

Tilahun Bogale Moreda* and Digafe Tsegaye Nigatu*
* Corresponding author
ISSN: 2639-2038  10.23880/eij-16000103  Received: March 21, 2018  Published: May 02, 2018
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Keywords
KAP Tuberculosis Community Holeta town
Abstract

Background: Though tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and curable, still it is a problem in worldwide, including Ethiopia. Limited knowledge about the disease could have an effect on the patients who seek health care services and continue the TB transmission within the public. Hence, the study was conducted in Holeta town to assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards the cause, transmission and prevention of tuberculosis (TB). Methods: Community based cross-sectional survey; involving 385 randomly selected individuals were employed in Holeta town from February to May, 2017. SPSS software version 20.0 was used to enter, clean and analyze the collected data. Results: Three hundred thirty nine (90.2%) of the study participants reported that they ever heard about tuberculosis. Thirty four percent of the study subjects thought that the cause of tuberculosis is bacteria. Respondents’ awareness about TB transmission from TB patient to new susceptible individuals were 75 % and thirty nine percent be familiar with transmission of TB can be preventable. Persistent cough (34.2%) was the often affirmed sign and symptom of the disease. Conclusion: Basic TB awareness among the communities in Holeta town is universal, which is not converted into the knowledge about the cause of the tuberculosis. Therefore, emphasis needs to be intended for bringing a considerable change in the knowledge about TB.

Tilahun Bogale Moreda2* and Digafe Tsegaye Nigatu1

Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia

Sciences, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia.

of Medicine & Health Sciences, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia, Email: mikiasbo12@gmail.com attitude and practice (KAP) towards the cause, transmission and prevention of tuberculosis (TB).

collected data.

symptom of the disease.

change in the knowledge about TB.

Keywords: KAP; Tuberculosis; Community; Holeta town in Holeta Town

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health problem [1]. The disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which is an infectious disease. The disease mainly affects the lung, but can also attack other parts of the body. The route of transmission is through air from infected individual to others during coughing, sneezing, singing or talking. Many TB infections do not show apparent sign and symptoms, which termed as latent TB [2, 3]. Tuberculosis is also more common among men than women, and affects mostly adults in the economically productive age groups. The probability of developing TB among individuals with HIV is much greater [4]. Globally 9.4 million new cases and fourteen million old cases happened in a year 2010. In Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa faces the challenge of tuberculosis outbreak [5]. Among the world’s 22 high burden countries, Ethiopia ranks7th, which have 300 and 470 new cases and old cases per 100,000 populations, respectively [6].Tuberculosis is the common cause of mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia [7]. Ethiopia as multi-cultural country, the knowledge of TB has been mentioned to demonstrate considerable spatial changes [8]. Moreover, through the electronic media and health education campaigns, information about healthcare can attain many public rapidly and boost the knowledge level among individuals [9]. Different studies demonstrated that limited knowledge was found to be observed among the uneducated, women, countryside residences, poor, and youngsters’. Additionally, lower than half of the study subjects were conscious about the TB treatment and diagnosis, which could act as factor to diagnosing tuberculosis and considerably have an effect on the case notification rate [10, 11, 12, 13]. Factors contributed to the disease acquiring, epidemiological burden, and disease development includes low income, HIV, inadequate nutrition, cigarette smoking, low access health services infrastructure, lack of consciousness and information about the cause, transmission mode, and sign- symptoms of the disease, demographic features, poor health education, and tradition or culture related beliefs. The above mentioned factors considered to have crucial impact on the patients’ health seeking behaviors which delay in diagnosis, treatment [4, 14, 15]. In addition, the social relationships and ethical identity of people afflicted by TB disease affected if they have negative concept of the disease and also it has impact on TB control efforts in general [16]. Because of these, enhancing communities’ awareness about tuberculosis and involving the people in the disease control considered to be WHO basic component of the “stop TB strategy” [17]. Of over 94 million population of Ethiopia, rural area residents are accounted 85% that are far away from health facilities, media, consequently knowledge, attitude, and practice assessment among people toward the disease were incredibly essential to collect data for identification of the the problem, program planning and intervention. Therefore, the aim is to assess individuals’ knowledge, attitude, and practice toward disease (TB).

Method and Materials

Study Area

The study was carried out in Holeta town which is situated at 40 km west of capital Addis Ababa Ethiopia.It was established in 1902 during Minilik II regime. According to central Statistics of Ethiopia (CSE) 2007 total human population of Holeta town was 25,593.Based on the information obtained from municipality, the town is categorized into eight administrative kebeles. The source population was all individuals whose age 20 years and above residing in the randomly selected four kebeles. Mentally ill and guest individuals were excluded from this study. To determine the sample size, a single population proportion formula was used. Assuming that 50% of the respondents had knowledge of TB and with further assumption of 95% confidence level, 5% margin of error, and 10% non respondent rate, a total sample of 385 study subjects were required .During sampling, four kebeles were selected using random sampling technique and the calculated sample was proportionally distributed to the selected kebeles according to the number of households. From each selected kebele, households were chosen using systematic random sampling technique. Finally, from all the eligible study participants in the households, only a single individual was selected randomly. In the absence of suitable study participant in the given household, a replacement was made by an individual in the next household. A standardized questionnaire was utilized, which consists of questions on socio demographic characteristics and knowledge, attitude and practice towards tuberculosis of study participants. The data collection tool was first prepared in English. It was translated to Oromiffa, which is a local language and back to English again in order to maintain the instrument validity. Nine data collectors and one supervisor who were public health students from Ambo University, department of Public health were recruited. For data collectors and supervisors, a one day intensive training was given before the pretest had been undertaken. The supervisor and principal investigator had closely followed the day-to-day data collection process and ensure completeness and consistency daily. Structured and pretested questionnaires were utilized to collect the data from the respondents by face to face interview. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 20.0. After the data entry, it was edited and cleaned before analysis. Frequency, percentage and descriptive summaries were utilized to explain the study variables. Ethical clearance was obtained from Ambo University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences Institutional Review Board. Supportive letter was taken to Holeta town Municipality office. Informed verbal consent was obtained from each respondent.

Results

Socio-Demographic Characteristics

Three hundred seventy six respondents with a response rate of (97.6%) were participated. The respondents’ mean age was 22.7 (+1.67 SD years). Female respondents constituted (56.9%), 44.7% were between the age group of 35 to 44 years and their age ranged between 18-65 years, 72.1% were Oromo ethnic, 46.5% were Orthodox Christian followers, 76.1% were married couples, 42.3% were attended primary school, 36.7% were private worker by occupation (Table 1).

VariablesFrequency (n)Percent (%)
Sex
Male16243.1
Female21456.9
Age
15-245915.7
25-3411831.4
35-4416844.7
>45-54318.2
Ethnicity
Oromo27172.1
Amhara5715.15
Gurage4010.6
Tigre61.6
Religion
Orthodox17546.5
Protestant14538.5
Muslim287.4
Others205.6
Marital status
Unmarried9023.9
Married28676.1
Level of education
Illiterate13034.6
Primary school15942.3
Secondary school3910.4
College/university4812.8
Current occupational status
Gov’t employed10327.4
Private13836.7
Daily worker379.8
Housewife9826.1

Table 1: Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents in Holeta town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, May 2017.

Discussion

This finding indicated that tuberculosis is recognizable to the entire public in the present study area, as the largest part (90.2%) of the respondents had showed that they have heard of Tuberculosis, which is comparable to earlier studies (92.8%)conducted in Somalia region, Ethiopia [18] and in Afar region (95.6%), Ethiopia [19], of the respondents were conscious of the disease. Though, in line with earlier studies southwest Ethiopia [20] as well as in Afar region, [19], the respondents had inadequate information about M. bacterium tuberculosis as a disease causing agent of TB. Instead, majority of the respondents supposed mostly either cold air or smoking as a cause of TB, which is in conformity with other findings. According to this finding, the respondents had fundamental knowledge about the general sign and/or symptom of tuberculosis and its mode of transmission, which conform with previously conducted studies [19, 20]. Incidentally, it was mentioned that cough persisted for two or more weeks, weight loss were the frequent sign/symptom of Tuberculosis. When an individual cough/sneezes, share dishes, shakes hands with the patients were the common supposed mode of transmission in different studies [20]. Another very crucial feature well-known in this particular study was that significant portion of the respondents was aware of the prevention of tuberculosis, which is comparable to a study conducted in southwest Ethiopia. Accordingly, covering mouths and nose when a patient sneezes, isolating the patient, avoiding sharing dishes with the patients, and good nourishment as a good prevention measures were like wise mentioned by previous studies from Ethiopia [19, 20].

Limitations

This study was utilized only a quantitative method, but lacks qualitative which is crucial to discover in- deepness view about the contributing factors for tuberculosis is affecting its strength. Absence of information on HIV, lack of questions about MDR, lack of current and former family TB infection and the cross- sectional nature of the study, which is unable to correctly demonstrate the way of relationship or association.

Conclusion

The findings indicated that the people in Holeta town had fundamental consciousness about tuberculosis. However, information about the disease causing agent among community members was not sufficient. Therefore, health information aimed at bringing a considerable change in their consciousness particularly about the primary agent that cause tuberculosis, transmission mode and prevention mechanism is important.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declared that there are no competing interests.

Acknowledgement

Ambo University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences should be acknowledged for supporting financially to carry out this research. We are also acknowledging the respondents who participated in this study.

References

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@article{tilahun2018,
  title   = {Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Tb Transmission and Prevention among the Communities in Holeta Town},
  author  = {Tilahun Bogale Moreda* and Digafe Tsegaye Nigatu},
  journal = {Epidemiology International Journal},
  year    = {2018},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {1},
  doi     = {10.23880/eij-16000103}
}
Tilahun Bogale Moreda* and Digafe Tsegaye Nigatu (2018). Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Tb Transmission and Prevention among the Communities in Holeta Town. Epidemiology International Journal, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.23880/eij-16000103
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TI  - Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Tb Transmission and Prevention among the Communities in Holeta Town
AU  - Tilahun Bogale Moreda* and Digafe Tsegaye Nigatu
JO  - Epidemiology International Journal
PY  - 2018
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.23880/eij-16000103
ER  -