EC Microbiology

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and health-seeking practice in this area is essential to plan, implement, and set preventive practice through community mobilization. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices among TB patients in northeastern Ethiopia.

Methods: A structured and pre-validated questionnaire was used for the assessment of patients’ awareness towards the disease. The data were collected cross-sectionally from 384 tuberculosis patients between April 2015 and January 2017. The outcome variables were defined considering the basic elements about the disease. Descriptive analysis was computed to determine the proportion of awareness and preventive practice toward the disease.

Results: The number of new TB cases in the study area is higher than those of retreatment ones. Major proportion of tuberculosis patients (70.4%) heard about the disease before they were sick. on the contrary, less proportion of the patients (21.3%) heard on drug resistance Mycobacterium. As the level of education increased the number of TB patients was decreased. The knowledge of tuberculosis patients who do not know as it is contagious and treatable disease was 22.9% and 18.7%, respectively. About 27% of the patients didn't go to the health institute for early diagnosis although they had prolonged cough.

Conclusion: Patients’ awareness towards the disease specifically to the drug resistant Mycobacterium was low. Health centers and other stakeholders should provide health education for the overall community in the area to enhance TB prevention and control program.

Keywords: Awareness; Contagious; Drug Resistance; Mycobacterium; Northeastern Ethiopia; Tuberculosis

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