ASSESSING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES RELATED TO TUBERCULOSIS IN FUTURE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS: A QUANTITATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), the most common infectious agent-related cause of death. The knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy of future healthcare students in managing high-risk groups are crucial to the management of TB. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the health sciences students regarding TB. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among health sciences students at a public sector university in Karachi from February to May, 2025. Students enrolled in accredited health science programs including medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health related disciplines were considered for the study while those pursuing non–health science fields were excluded. A standardized questionnaire assessed demographically, TB knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices. Stratified random sampling was used to gather data from 391 participants, sample size calculated by using OpenEpi version 3.01. SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the data. Results: Despite a high level of understanding about TB symptoms and transmission, noticeable gaps were found. Preventive practices were uneven, with 59.8% seeking medical attention for persistent coughs and 67.5% reporting mask use. Formal education was a significant knowledge source, with 54% learning about TB from college. Nursing and medical students were more knowledgeable about airborne transmission (p = 0.010). Timely healthcare seeking was associated with mask effectiveness belief (p = 0.0006). Conclusion: Despite strong baseline knowledge, behavioral and attitude gaps persist. Focused anti-stigma initiatives and TB control teaching in medical curricula are crucial. Expanding awareness efforts to non-medical peers could strengthen community-level TB control.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, BCG, GeneXpert, MDR–TB, LTBI