Abstract
Introduction: Students' knowledge and opinion about tuberculosis (TB) are very important for recognizing early symptoms and signs of disease, prevention of late in diagnosis of TB and influence on prevention and outcome of disease.
Goal: To define the non-medical students' knowledge about TB (symptoms, way of medical treatment, possible complications, comorbidity).
Material and methods: Prospective study comprised the non-medical faculties at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. The data were obtained by the questionnaire filled in during October-November 2010.
Results: The total of 1139 students were questioned, average 19,7 year, most women (n=794, 69.7%). The majority of students had a good knowledge about TB (n= 891, 78.2%). The majority of questioned students knew that TB is infectious disease (n=1093, 96%) that the main cause of TB is bacteria (n=887, 77.9%) as well as it is curable disease (n=1079, 95.6%). Over 94% knew that cough is the main cause of TB transmission. 62% questioned students considered that risk factors can contribute the tuberculosis appearance (39.4% alcoholism, 66.3% poor nutrition, 74,7% smoking and 67.9% comorbidities). The students from Agricultural faculty showed better knowledge against other students, p<0.001.The most of the students (n=513, 45%) knew that TB incidence in the state area was decreasing.
Conclusion: Students of non-medical faculties at the University of Novi Sad showed the good knowledge about TB. The best knowledge was noticed at the students of Faculty of Agriculture. They also are well informed about TB presence in the state and the effects of national and international guidelines implementation in the country respectively.
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