Assessment of knowledge regarding tuberculosis among non-medical university students in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

In the present study, we surveyed the knowledge among non-medical university students about TB, particularly on common symptoms [1], disease agent, communicable or non-communicable, latent TB, vaccination against TB, treatment system etc. This study also examined the perception of respondents about TB as a public health problem, source of gaining knowledge, urban–rural and male–female ratio, parents’ education and income etc. Most of the students declared that they heard the term TB from various sources, such as electronic media, print media, relatives and friends. Similar results were found among other people in Rajshahi city including students [18]. In the current study demonstrated that nearly half of the students gathered knowledge about TB from electronic media, and it was a strong media to communicate people at all level to aware, inform and guide them for receiving information and services with free of cost from their nearest distance. Friends and relatives were also playing a vital role in disseminating information to others. In addition, parent’s education have played a significant role to increase their children’s knowledge about communicable disease such as TB. Different sessions, meetings, workshops, drama, rally was influencing others as discussion matter. Printed media, bill boards, leaflets; posters were also important media to inform about TB. In the present study have shown that nearly half of the students properly knew that TB is a communicable disease and it spread from person to person. A remarkable number of students had no knowledge on TB as communicable disease. It indicated that less involvement of students in TB related sessions, meetings or workshops. Though government as well as its several partner NGOs were working for advocacy, communication and social mobilization (ACSM) in Rajshahi district, they needed to perform adequate sessions or meeting with non medical university students. We found that the students who came from rural area had more knowledge regarding communicable disease than their counterpart. This might be happened due to frequent advertisement about communicable disease through Bangladesh television (BTV) which was largely observed by rural people. The urban people usually enjoyed other television channels like dish television. Now a day, dish TV channels are expanding to rural areas of Bangladesh. So, it is necessary to widely utilize dish TV channels as electronic media for TB related advertisement. Poverty, illiteracy, higher fertility has higher chance of developing TB. Once TB develops in any family, all members of the family become experienced and gained knowledge about symptoms, services and management of TB. In this study, nearly half of the students believed that TB is a bacterial disease while other had no knowledge or wrong perception. It may indicate less inclusion of TB related disease idea in general education curriculum. In developing countries like Bangladesh, more than half of whole populations are infected with TB as a latent TB. This latent TB has the chance of reactivation to active disease at any time when environment is favorable. But unfortunately the knowledge about latent TB among students was very poor. Poor nutrition, diabetes or immunosuppressive drugs, smoking or certain diseases can reactivate the latent TB. University students should know more about latent TB and its environmental condition. In the present study demonstrated that male had more aware than female about the knowledge on TB disease, latent TB and DOTs, on the other hand, female had more knowledge on disease agent and its curable than male. This gender difference may indicate the cultural and life styles in Bangladesh. The most of the time, mother as well as daughter usually stay at home and more prone to enjoy TV from where they receive limited information. Comparatively they are less exposed to market or public places. On the other hand, males are more exposed to markets, hospitals and other important public places. So, they have more chance to gain information from various sources such as bill boards, posters and friends along with TV.

In case of type of family, this study showed that the participants came from single family had more knowledge about TB disease, its agent, and treatment systems than who came from joint family. This may linked to parent’s income, education, media and other facilities. In single family, parents had more time to care their children and discuss about the general issues such as communicable diseases.

Almost all Bangladeshi has adopted with expanded program on immunization (EPI) and our study showed that with the success of EPI in Bangladesh, most of the respondents believed that BCG vaccination is effective against childhood TB. Of them, female were more aware than male. Previously, people in Bangladesh thought that TB is not curable. Now-a-days almost all Bangladeshi strongly believe that TB is a curable disease through ACSM activities of NTP. Most of the participants knew about the DOTs system for TB treatment, and the respondents who followed Hindu religion had more knowledge than Muslim. As public health concern, most of the respondents believed that TB is a major public health problem as it spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing.