Nyasulu Peter, Kambale Susan, Chirwa Tobias, Umanah Teye, Singini Isaac, Sikwese Simon, Banda Hastings T, Banda Rhoda P, Chimbali Henry, Ngwira Bagrey, Munthali Alister
Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Monash University, Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, University of Malawi, Malawi.
World Health Organization, Country Office, Lilongwe, Malawi.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2016 Mar 24;9:121-31. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S97409. eCollection 2016.
Knowledge and perceptions about tuberculosis (TB) can influence care-seeking behavior and adherence to treatment. Previous studies in Malawi were conducted to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding TB in adults, with limited data on knowledge in children.
This study assessed knowledge and perceptions about TB in children aged 10-14 years attending primary school in Ntcheu District, Malawi.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in four primary schools in Ntcheu District. Data on knowledge and perception of TB were collected using a structured questionnaire. Pearson chi-square test was used to determine the association between socioeconomic factors and TB knowledge and perception. A P<0.05 was considered significant.
The study found that the learners had high knowledge regarding the cause, spread, and TB preventive measures. Almost 90% of learners knew that TB is caused by a germ, however, a lower proportion knew about TB symptoms ie, night sweats (49%) and enlarged cervical lymph nodes (40%). We found that 68% of learners did not know the duration of anti-TB treatment. No association was found between age, learners' grade, and knowledge (P>0.05).
Lack of knowledge regarding TB and gaps identified, may be due to a deficiency in the content of the school curriculum or the availability of information, education, and communication materials. This is the first study to report on knowledge and perceptions of TB among primary school learners in Malawi. These results will inform the development of relevant information, education, and communication materials to enhance awareness about TB among school going children.
关于结核病（TB）的知识和认知会影响就医行为和治疗依从性。此前在马拉维开展的研究旨在评估成年人对结核病的知识和态度，而关于儿童知识的资料有限。
本研究评估了马拉维恩彻乌区10至14岁小学生对结核病的知识和认知情况。
在恩彻乌区的四所小学开展了一项横断面研究。使用结构化问卷收集了关于结核病知识和认知的数据。采用Pearson卡方检验来确定社会经济因素与结核病知识和认知之间的关联。P<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
研究发现，这些学习者对结核病的病因、传播途径和预防措施有较高的了解。近90%的学习者知道结核病是由一种病菌引起的，然而，了解结核病症状（如盗汗（49%）和颈部淋巴结肿大（40%））的比例较低。我们发现68%的学习者不知道抗结核治疗的疗程。在年龄、学习者年级和知识之间未发现关联（P>0.05）。
关于结核病的知识缺乏和已发现的差距，可能是由于学校课程内容或信息、教育及宣传材料的可获得性不足所致。这是第一项报告马拉维小学生对结核病的知识和认知情况的研究。这些结果将为制定相关信息、教育及宣传材料提供依据，以提高在校儿童对结核病的认识。
