INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that arises from the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which typically affects the lungs (pulmonary Tuberculosis) but may affect other sites as well (extrapulmonary Tuberculosis). This disease is spread through the air when people who are sick with pulmonary Tuberculosis expel bacteria. Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem throughout the world, including Ethiopia. In this study, we aim to assess knowledge, attitude, the practice (KAP) of tuberculosis transmission and prevention among patients with Tuberculosis in Kuyyu Hospital, North Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2018 Gregorian Calender.
METHODS: In this study, facility-based cross-sectional quantitative study design was used to assess KAP of Tuberculosis transmission and prevention among Tuberculosis patients in Kuyyu Hospital, North Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2018G.C. The information was collected through an interview using structured questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by tallying, organizing, and calculating manually using a scientific calculator. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages of different variables, were computed as appropriate.
RESULTS: From 108 respondents, 68 (62.9%) were male and 40 (37.1%) were female. Concerning the respondent’s knowledge about TB, out of 108 respondents, 46 (42.6%) of them heard about TB from health institutions at health education programs. Regarding the attitude from a total of 108 respondents, 83 (76.8%) of them agreed that TB transmitted can be by coughing, 5 (4.6%) of them disagreed and 20 (18.6%) of them were neutral. Regarding the practice from a total of 108 respondents, 58 (53.7%) of them responded that they opened windows when they were at home and 50 (46.3%) of them said that they did not open windows when they were at home.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: To minimize the number of patients who engage in traditional methods of TB transmission and prevention methods, education and training should be given by the hospital in collaboration with other stakeholders, such as Kebele administration, other government offices and international and local NGOs. The hospital and other concerned governmental organizations, non-governmental and community-based organizations should give special attention to patients in providing necessary and basic information in relation to the transmission, prevention and controlling TB.