A cross sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice towards tuberculosis among health care workers

Abstract

Health care providers play a major role in the management of tuberculosis (TB). The knowledge, attitude and practice towards TB in health care providers will have an impact on the treatment success or failure. Studies have reported that inadequate knowledge of the health care providers led to the delivery of improper counselling content to the recipients. We assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards tuberculosis among health care workers in and around Chennai. A cross sectional study was conducted among 382 health care workers of the chest and tuberculosis department of government hospitals and directly observed treatment short-course clinics. The principal investigator administered a structured and validated questionnaire to the study participants. Around 500 healthcare workers were approached, and 382 showed interest to sign the informed consent. A majority (70%) of the study participants were between the age group 20-30 years. There was a highly significant difference (P = 0.006) in response to this between participants who had a history of active tuberculosis and undergone treatment for the same, and the participants with no history of TB. There was a significant difference between the study population based on their qualification and profession (P = 0.001 and P = 0.007 respectively) in using the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program guideline for reference. The knowledge attitude and practice towards TB was good in more than 80% of the respondents, yet there is room to improve. Structured periodic training towards TB will further improve the KAP of health care workers.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Healthcare Workers on Isoniazid Preventive Treatment in Tanzania; A Health Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our study revealed that 47.0% of the healthcare workers had a positive attitude towards IPT. These results are different from the study conducted in Indonesia, South Africa, India, and Australia which found a positive attitude of above 50% (13,18,(22)(23)(24). The presence of fewer healthcare workers with positive attitudes may be attributed to limited awareness and education about IPT and challenges in healthcare infrastructure.…”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Tuberculosis Among Healthcare Workers in Karachi, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional study

“…This score was more signi cant than countries like Russia and South Mozambique while being comparable to Peru (67.3%) (4,11,19). On the contrary, HCWs in Iraq, Northwest Ethiopia (74.4%), and Chennai (India) had higher knowledge scores than those found in our study (16,20,21). According to 73% of respondents, gloves provide complete protection against TB, possibly related to the misconception that TB spreads through sharing utensils.…”

“…Educating HCWs to maximize natural ventilation by opening windows is an easy, low-cost intervention that may reduce patients' and HCWs' exposure to airborne TB and is t for LMICs like Pakistan. The practice score to order sputum specimens for active TB is high (83%), indicating sound knowledge of the test for diagnosis, unlike the results of the research conducted in rural Sindh and Delhi, where the majority of the HCWs order multiple tests resulting in ine cient resource use which can be burdensome for a developing country like Pakistan (15,21).…”

“…According to the ndings, 83.1% of the HCWs didn't take any training for TBIC, and this factor can account for the gaps observed as TBIC training is seen to impact the scores of all three categories signi cantly. The signi cance of training in in uencing KAP scores is highlighted in the studies conducted in Nepal, Chennai (India), South Africa, Northwest Ethiopia, and Uganda (5,20,21,23,24). Thus, specialist training could have a positive impact on the KAP of the HCWs.…”

Bridging the Gap: A Strategic Approach to Upscale Knowledge Among Diverse Healthcare Providers for Effective Tuberculosis Management in Gujarat, India

“…The crucial role played by these HCPs in community outreach and education necessitates a robust foundation in early case detection and referral. The training programs delivered through accessible means, such as interactive workshops, on-the-job training, or elearning platforms, could empower them with the skills and confidence to contribute effectively [20][21][22][23].…”