TUBERCULOSIS

PATIENTS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTIONS

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one of the major public health problems in Pakistan. Pakistan
ranks fifth amongst TB high-burden countries worldwide and accounts for 61% of the TB
burden in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Objectives: To describe knowledge,
attitudes, and perceptions among the patients of pulmonary tuberculosis about their disease
attending outpatient department at independent university hospital Faisalabad. Study Design:
A descriptive cross-sectional study. Period: August to September 2014. Setting: Out patients
department at Independent University Hospital Faisalabad. Methods: A total of 197 patients
from OPD. Systematic random sampling technique. After an informed consent a pretested
questionnaire were used to collect the information from the patient. SPSS-17were used to
calculate the frequencies and percentages. Results: Out of 197 respondents were 55.3% (109)
male, 44.7% (88) female and 63% (125) were earning below 10000 rupees per month. As for
as knowledge is concerned 50% of the patients viewed that TB is transmitted through contact
with the patients having tuberculosis, 83%labelled cough of long duration as commonest sign,
60% viewed that it can be prevented by avoiding contact with patients, 57% labeled healthcare
staff as their source of information, 65.9% perceived TB as an infectious disease, 55% stress
as cause of disease, 85% as not curable disease. Conclusions: Poor knowledge and false
perceptions are the main constrain in the control of TB in Pakistan.