Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis
Introduction: In October 2022, after almost two years, tuberculosis reclaimed its first place as the world's deadliest infectious disease, replacing COVID-19. Since knowledge is the most powerful tool to combat any disease, the primary goal of our study was to assess patients' knowledge o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
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| Online Access: | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/18112 |
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| author | Miroslav Ilic Dragan Bjelic Jovan Javorac Kristina Tot Veres Dejan Zivanovic Dragica Kovačevic Nikola Maric Nensi Lalic Nikola Colic Mihailo Stjepanovic |
| author_facet | Miroslav Ilic Dragan Bjelic Jovan Javorac Kristina Tot Veres Dejan Zivanovic Dragica Kovačevic Nikola Maric Nensi Lalic Nikola Colic Mihailo Stjepanovic |
| author_sort | Miroslav Ilic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction: In October 2022, after almost two years, tuberculosis reclaimed its first place as the world's deadliest infectious disease, replacing COVID-19. Since knowledge is the most powerful tool to combat any disease, the primary goal of our study was to assess patients' knowledge of tuberculosis and its relationship to their socio-demographic status.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 1,067 respiratory patients who were surveyed between November 2021 and June 2022 at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina (Serbia). They completed a questionnaire designed for this study.
Results: The majority of patients (53.7%) were female; over two-thirds (70.8%) were ≥ 60 years; every fifth (23.2%) was either with or without primary school; every third (33.3%) was financially poor. Although the majority of patients (97.8%) were aware that tuberculosis is an infectious disease, only 44.2% knew the etiology. Around 3/4 (72.6%) were aware of a tuberculosis vaccine. Hospitalized patients had better knowledge that the vaccine helps prevent tuberculosis than ambulatory patients (p = 0.047). Only 16% of patients in both groups knew that tuberculosis incidence is decreasing in Serbia (p = 0.074). Good knowledge about tuberculosis was reported by 71.5%. Hospitalized patients showed better knowledge than ambulatory patients (p = 0.032). Patients with a higher level of education and higher monthly income were independent predictors of better knowledge of tuberculosis.
Conclusions: The study underlines the need to promote knowledge about tuberculosis, particularly among chronic patients, socially vulnerable and refugees, especially in light of the pandemic and emerging economic problems in the region.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7d2c297d3aa8412aa87d20d41b486023 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1972-2680 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| spelling | doaj-art-7d2c297d3aa8412aa87d20d41b4860232025-08-20T02:16:17ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802023-08-01170810.3855/jidc.18112Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosisMiroslav Ilic0Dragan Bjelic1Jovan Javorac2Kristina Tot Veres3Dejan Zivanovic4Dragica Kovačevic5Nikola Maric6Nensi Lalic7Nikola Colic8Mihailo Stjepanovic9University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, SerbiaUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, SerbiaUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, SerbiaUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, SerbiaInstitute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, SerbiaClinic of Pulmonology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, SerbiaCenter for Radiology Imaging – Magnetic Resonance, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic of Pulmonology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia Introduction: In October 2022, after almost two years, tuberculosis reclaimed its first place as the world's deadliest infectious disease, replacing COVID-19. Since knowledge is the most powerful tool to combat any disease, the primary goal of our study was to assess patients' knowledge of tuberculosis and its relationship to their socio-demographic status. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 1,067 respiratory patients who were surveyed between November 2021 and June 2022 at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina (Serbia). They completed a questionnaire designed for this study. Results: The majority of patients (53.7%) were female; over two-thirds (70.8%) were ≥ 60 years; every fifth (23.2%) was either with or without primary school; every third (33.3%) was financially poor. Although the majority of patients (97.8%) were aware that tuberculosis is an infectious disease, only 44.2% knew the etiology. Around 3/4 (72.6%) were aware of a tuberculosis vaccine. Hospitalized patients had better knowledge that the vaccine helps prevent tuberculosis than ambulatory patients (p = 0.047). Only 16% of patients in both groups knew that tuberculosis incidence is decreasing in Serbia (p = 0.074). Good knowledge about tuberculosis was reported by 71.5%. Hospitalized patients showed better knowledge than ambulatory patients (p = 0.032). Patients with a higher level of education and higher monthly income were independent predictors of better knowledge of tuberculosis. Conclusions: The study underlines the need to promote knowledge about tuberculosis, particularly among chronic patients, socially vulnerable and refugees, especially in light of the pandemic and emerging economic problems in the region. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/18112knowledgetuberculosispatients |
| spellingShingle | Miroslav Ilic Dragan Bjelic Jovan Javorac Kristina Tot Veres Dejan Zivanovic Dragica Kovačevic Nikola Maric Nensi Lalic Nikola Colic Mihailo Stjepanovic Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis Journal of Infection in Developing Countries knowledge tuberculosis patients |
| title | Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| title_full | Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| title_short | Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| title_sort | knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against tuberculosis |
| topic | knowledge tuberculosis patients |
| url | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/18112 |
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