BACKGROUND:
Preventing the development of active Tuberculosis (TB) among people living with human immune deficiency virus (PLHIV) can prevent millions of people from being infected in the community and in healthcare services. Increasing knowledge of PLHIV about IPT and uptake of IPT is one of the key interventions recommended by WHO to reduce the burden of TB on PLHIV, while low knowledge level about IPT among PLHIV remain as a major practical barrier for provision of IPT. The main aim of this study was to assess knowledge and associated factor among PLHIV regarding IPT.
METHODS:
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on PLHIV who were attending follow-up in university of Gondar referral hospital, north-western Ethiopia. A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 402 respondents. The data was coded, entered and analyzed in SPSS 21.0 version. Data was presented in frequencies and percentages. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factor associated with knowledge level.
RESULTS:
Among 402 study participants included in the survey, one hundred sixty-nine 169 (42.03%) of them has never heard about IPT and 229 (57%) had insufficient knowledge level. The respondents who had received counseling from health professionals about IPT were three times more likely to have sufficient level of knowledge than those who had no received counseling from health professionals (AOR=2.8, 95% CI: (1.21, 2.94).
CONCLUSION:
The knowledge level of IPT was sufficient only among less than half of study participants. TB screening, educational status, previous counseling by health professionals and duration of IPT were important factors that determine knowledge level of IPT among people living with HIV. It’s recommended to focus on strengthening TB screening and Health care professionals should provide adequate counseling for patients at initiation of IPT.
