Tuberculosis Knowledge Levels Of Secondary School Students

Abstract

Objective: A reduction in tuberculosis (TB) cases is possible through knowledge and control of the risk factors. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the knowledge levels of secondary school students about TB. Method: The study is a descriptive study conducted in 2018-2019. The sample of the study consisted of 116 students, who volunteered to participate in the study of 12th grade of the school. The data collection tool consists of 19 questions: Personal Information Form and TB Knowledge Level Questionnaire (TBKLQ). In TBDSF, every correct answer is one point. The score that can be obtained varies between 0-11. Results: The mean age of was 17.17 ± 0.37 years. 1.7% of the study group had tuberculosis. The incidence of tuberculosis in their families was 2.6%. 86.2% of the participants knew the correct cause of the disease, 51.7% of them were aware of the symptoms and 64.7% of them understood the correct transmission path. 37.1% of the study group knew the duration of treatment correctly, 20.7% of them knew the infectious period correctly; 93.1% of the study group knew that TB was a notifiable disease and 76.7% knew that registration of TB should be undertaken at the Tuberculosis Dispensary. 50.9% of the study group were aware that TB could be seen in the lungs and extrapulmonary organs, and 37.1% of them knew correctly when the TB vaccine should be administered. The mean TB knowledge score of the study group was 5.85 ± 2.11. 59.5% of the participants reported that they had received training on TB. A significant difference was found between the TB knowledge scores of those who previously received TB education with those who did not. Conclusion: The knowledge level of individuals with high school education about TB is at a medium level. One out of every two participants received training on TB. In order to increase the effectiveness of the fight against tuberculosis, to prevent the spread of the disease and to reach the goals of the end tuberculosis strategy, the lack of information should be overcome.