Assessment of Tuberculosis Related Knowledge and Its Association with Treatment Adherence among Tuberculosis Patients Attending Follow up in Chiro Hospital, West Hararge Zone, Oromia Regional State, East Ethiopia, 2016

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Tubercle bacillus, known as mycobacterium tuberculosis, whose host is human and is transmitted through the air or by ingesting infected milk or meat (bovine TB) and it is both preventable and curable. People who have pulmonary tuberculosis can infect others through droplets infections when they cough, sneeze or talk. Little studies have been done in the area of knowledge related patient factors of non adherence in tuberculosis prevention and control programs. Methods: A facility based cross sectional study design was used to review record and a structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from all TB patients in Chiro hospital from May 15-30/ 2016. Then the collected data were cleaned, compiled, organized, interpreted and presented to give the necessary information. All data processing and analysis procedures were operated using SPSS and finally calculation of frequencies and percentage was done. Then data were presented in tables. Associations between variables were analyzed and presented using chi-square test.Result: From the total of 87 TB patients interviewed, 59(67.3%) were knowledgeable on TB while 28(32.7%) of them were not knowledgeable. Among all respondents the level of adherence to treatments was 75(86.4%) and the level of non adherent to treatments was 12(13.6%). This study found out that there was a significant association between TB related knowledge and treatment adherence(X² value=23.599, p value=0.000).Conclusions: Among the study participants only 67.3% have basic knowledge with regard to the cause, transmission, symptoms, prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis and the overall level of adherence to TB treatments is in the acceptable level. Chi square test revealed that the overall TB related knowledge and level of treatment adherence were found to have statistically significant association. Thus, the hospital and managers at all levels should strengthen IEC/BCC and supportive supervision activities.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Knowledge, Treatment adherence,