Assessment of knowledge and practice about tuberculosis among eastern Ethiopian prisoners
DESIGN: Between July and November 2008, 382 TB patients and suspects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression.
RESULTS: Only six (1.6%) prisoners described the cause of TB as being bacterial, while a wind locally known as ‘nefas’ was frequently mentioned (36.1%); nearly 75% of the prisoners correctly described breath as a mode of TB transmission; 116 (30.7%) did not know any measures for TB prevention and control; and half of the participants did not know that anti-tuberculosis drugs were provided free of charge. Significant predictors of TB knowledge were: incarceration in the Jijiga (OR 9.62, P < 0.001) and Dire Dawa (OR 2.14, P = 0.016) prisons, those who did not consult and receive treatment for TB symptoms (OR 2.46, P < 0.001), and prisoners without a past history of TB (OR 2.72, P = 0.002).
CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that prisoners have a modest level of biomedical knowledge. As part of the National TB Programme, health education programmes need to be implemented to enhance prisoners' knowledge of TB.
Keywords: Ethiopia; knowledge; practice; prison; tuberculosis
Document Type: Regular Paper
Affiliations: 1: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Akililu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2: Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway 3: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 4: Akililu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Publication date: 01 February 2011
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