Background: The incidence and mortality of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are rising globally in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) era due to resource allocation and the deviation of global attention toward the pandemic. Hence, this study aimed to assess and evaluate the current knowledge and attitude toward PTB among the residents in Riyadh.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Riyadh residents using a self-administered online questionnaire. The sample size was calculated as 385. A scoring system was developed to categorize the level of knowledge of PTB into poor, good, and excellent. The questionnaire also evaluated the attitude level.
Results: Out of 759 participants, the male-female ratio was almost equal, and nearly 80% had a university education level. The participants’ scores were 31%, 39%, and 30% for poor, good, and excellent knowledge regarding PTB, respectively. There were significant statistical associations between the score (p = 0.012), the ability to identify PTB signs and symptoms (p = 0.002), and age; and also between the level of education and PTB knowledge (p = 0.03).
Conclusion: The overall level of knowledge was good, which could be attributed to age, level of education, and COVID-19 awareness campaigns. There was a lack of knowledge in essential PTB information with an insufficient attitude toward PTB patients. The public needs more positive enforcement and awareness of the disease’s basic concepts. Further studies on less-educated groups and older adults are needed for better assessment.
Key words: Pulmonary tuberculosis, PTB, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, EPTB, awareness, KSA, Riyadh.
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