This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Research article
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Infection Control in Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Sailesh Kumar Shrestha
National Academy of Medical Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7935-1206
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Healthcare centers are important sites for tuberculosis transmission, particularly in low-income settings where the burden of tuberculosis is high and infection control practices are often inadequate. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) infection control among the healthcare workers under the National Tuberculosis Program in Nepal.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, we studied the healthcare workers from all the 11 functioning drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment centers across Nepal in March 2018. Trained data collectors conducted face-to-face interviews with a pre-tested questionnaire to collect data on the basic characteristics of healthcare workers, their self-reported knowledge, attitude, and practice on tuberculosis infection control. We entered the data in Microsoft Excel and analyzed in R statistical software. We assigned a score of one to the correct response and zero to the incorrect or no response and calculated a composite score in each of the knowledge, attitude, and practice domains. We ascertained the healthcare workers as having good knowledge, appropriate attitude, and optimal practices when the composite score was at least 50%. We summarized the numerical variables with median and interquartile range (IQR) and the categorical variables with proportions. We ran appropriate correlation tests to identify relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. We regarded a p-value of < 0.05 as significant.
Results
A total of 95 out of 102 healthcare workers from 11 drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment centers participated in the study. There were 46 male and 49 female respondents. The median age was 33 years (IQR 26-42). Most of them (53, 56%) were mid-level paramedics. The median work experience in drug-resistant tuberculosis was 2 years (IQR 1-5). We found 91 (96%) respondents had a good knowledge of tuberculosis infection control, 49 (52%) respondents had an appropriate attitude and 35 (37%) respondents had optimal practices. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude and practice scores (ρ = 0.37, p = < 0.001).
Conclusion
The healthcare workers at the DR TB treatment facilities in Nepal have high knowledge of TB infection control but it did not translate into the appropriate attitude or optimal practices.
Keywords
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Infection Control, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice
Figure 1
Figure 2
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 09 Jun, 2020
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Learn more about our company.
This is a preprint. It has not completed peer review.
Research article
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Infection Control in Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Sailesh Kumar Shrestha
National Academy of Medical Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7935-1206
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 09 Jun, 2020
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Healthcare centers are important sites for tuberculosis transmission, particularly in low-income settings where the burden of tuberculosis is high and infection control practices are often inadequate. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) infection control among the healthcare workers under the National Tuberculosis Program in Nepal.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, we studied the healthcare workers from all the 11 functioning drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment centers across Nepal in March 2018. Trained data collectors conducted face-to-face interviews with a pre-tested questionnaire to collect data on the basic characteristics of healthcare workers, their self-reported knowledge, attitude, and practice on tuberculosis infection control. We entered the data in Microsoft Excel and analyzed in R statistical software. We assigned a score of one to the correct response and zero to the incorrect or no response and calculated a composite score in each of the knowledge, attitude, and practice domains. We ascertained the healthcare workers as having good knowledge, appropriate attitude, and optimal practices when the composite score was at least 50%. We summarized the numerical variables with median and interquartile range (IQR) and the categorical variables with proportions. We ran appropriate correlation tests to identify relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. We regarded a p-value of < 0.05 as significant.
Results
A total of 95 out of 102 healthcare workers from 11 drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment centers participated in the study. There were 46 male and 49 female respondents. The median age was 33 years (IQR 26-42). Most of them (53, 56%) were mid-level paramedics. The median work experience in drug-resistant tuberculosis was 2 years (IQR 1-5). We found 91 (96%) respondents had a good knowledge of tuberculosis infection control, 49 (52%) respondents had an appropriate attitude and 35 (37%) respondents had optimal practices. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude and practice scores (ρ = 0.37, p = < 0.001).
Conclusion
The healthcare workers at the DR TB treatment facilities in Nepal have high knowledge of TB infection control but it did not translate into the appropriate attitude or optimal practices.
Figure 1
Figure 2