Table 2 Knowledge about the etiology, treatment and severity of tuberculosis among the participants attending a mass gathering (Kumbh Mela) in Ujjain, India
Questions related to- | Response | Males n (%) | Females n (%) | Total n (%) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Treatment of TB | |||||
- Is there a vaccine for TB? | Yes | 54 (5) | 8 (1) | 62 (4) | < 0.001 |
No | 669 (70) | 442 (63) | 1111 (67) | ||
Don’t know | 237 (25) | 255 (36) | 492 (29) | ||
- For how long the standard TB treatment should be taken? | 1 month | 6 (1) | 3 (0) | 9 (1) | < 0.001 |
2–3 months | 171 (18) | 12 (2) | 183 (11) | ||
6–8 months | 597 (62) | 507 (72) | 1104 (66) | ||
1 year | 167 (17) | 177 (25) | 344 (21) | ||
Don’t know | 19 (2) | 6 (1) | 25 (1) | ||
- Is it acceptable to skip treatment for a day or two? | Yes | 40 (4) | 15 (2) | 55 (3) | 0.021 |
No | 920 (96) | 690 (98) | 1610 (97) | ||
- Is the treatment for TB costly to the patient? | Yes | 61 (6) | 26 (4) | 87 (5) | 0.007 |
No | 491 (51) | 405 (57) | 896 (54) | ||
Don’t know | 408 (43) | 274 (39) | 682 (41) | ||
- Where would you suggest someone, go and get TB treatment? | Government hospital | 807 (84) | 590 (84) | 1397 (84) | 0.837 |
Private hospital | 153 (16) | 115 (16) | 268 (16) | ||
- Can a disease like TB be cured by bathing in a holy river? | Yes | 99 (10) | 108 (15) | 207 (12) | < 0.001 |
No | 809 (84) | 590 (84) | 1399 (84) | ||
Don’t know | 52 (5) | 7 (1) | 59 (4) | ||
Etiology and severity of TB | |||||
- Is TB an infectious disease? | Yes | 890 (93) | 655 (93) | 1545 (93) | 0.795 |
No | 70 (7) | 49 (7) | 119 (7) | ||
- Is TB a hereditary disease? | Yes | 91 (9) | 58 (8) | 149 (9) | 0.376 |
No | 869 (91) | 647 (92) | 1516 (91) | ||
- Is TB a preventable disease? | Yes | 902 (94) | 688 (98) | 1590 (95) | < 0.001 |
No | 36 (4) | 6 (1) | 42 (3) | ||
Don’t know | 22 (2) | 11 (2) | 33 (2) | ||
- What kind of disease is TB? (Several options can be selected) | Uncomplicated | 54 (6) | 1 (0) | 55 (3) | < 0.001 |
Lethal | 769 (80) | 624 (89) | 1393 (84) | ||
Curable but long treatment | 730 (76) | 661(94) | 1391 (84) | ||
- Is TB a life-threatening disease? | Yes | 725 (75) | 537 (76) | 1262 (76) | 0.760 |
No | 235 (25) | 168 (24) | 403 (24) | ||
- Is it possible to live a normal life with TB? | Yes | 590 (62) | 403 (57) | 993 (60) | < 0.001 |
No | 282 (29) | 293 (42) | 575 (34) | ||
Don’t know | 88 (9) | 9 (1) | 97 (6) | ||
- What proportion of the total Indian population has a TB infection? | 10% | 197 (21) | 180 (26) | 377 (22) | 0.029 |
20% | 195 (20) | 116 (16) | 311 (19) | ||
40% | 21 (2) | 10 (1) | 31 (2) | ||
Don’t know | 547 (57) | 399 (57) | 946 (57) | ||
- A TB patient is vulnerable to other diseases such as …? | AIDS | 164 (17) | 155 (22) | 319 (19) | < 0.001 |
High blood pressure | 153 (16) | 16 (2) | 169 (10) | ||
Jaundice | 110 (12) | 66 (9) | 176 (11) | ||
Other | 7 (1) | 0 (0) | 7 (0) | ||
Don’t know | 526 (55) | 468 (66) | 994 (60) | ||
- According to you, which disease is more dangerous: TB or cancer? | TB | 111 (12) | 163 (23) | 274 (16) | < 0.001 |
Cancer | 837 (87) | 542 (77) | 1379 (83) | ||
Don’t know | 12 (1) | 0 (0) | 12 (1) | ||