Knowledge and attitudes about tuberculosis in the general population aged 18 and over in the Eastern Region of Thiès, Senegal

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes about tuberculosis in the general population aged 18 years and over in the Thiès eastern region of Senegal. Materials and Methods: 966 people attending Thies health centre were randomly selected as part of a descriptive study. Data were collected between 01/10/2023 and 01/05/2024. The study was based on a questionnaire based on a personal interview consisting of three parts: the first included basic demographic data, the second covered the respondents' knowledge of tuberculosis, the third addressed the respondents' attitudes towards the disease and analysed the data collection using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22. Results: A total of 966 people participated in the survey, with a mean age of 36.75 ± 13.02 years (age range: 18-75 years). 54.6% of the participants were male and the male/female ratio was 1.2. The risk of developing tuberculosis increased in unmarried individuals (p=0.009). The risk of tuberculosis was higher in individuals with high school education and above (p=0.002 and p<0.001). TB risk was found to be higher in individuals with income (p=0.012). TB risk increased in individuals with health insurance (p=0.019). Non-smokers were at higher risk (p=0.013). The risk of recurrence was significantly higher in those with a history of tuberculosis (p<0.001) Conclusion: This study revealed that the population over 18 years of age has inadequate knowledge about tuberculosis and poor attitudes towards the disease. Therefore, correcting misconceptions and ensuring equal access to information among different population groups is critical in the fight against TB Keywords: Knowledge; Over 18 years; Senegal; Thies; Attitude; Tuberculosis