Knowledge of TB signs/symptoms, transmission and treatment among undergraduates in medical universities in Southwest China†
| Sex n (%) | Grade n (%) | Major n (%) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of TB | Total n (%) | Male | Female | Year 3 | Year 2 | Year 1 | Clinical medicine | Non-clinical medicine |
| Students had knowledge of TB signs/symptoms | ||||||||
| Chronic cough | 597 (40.2) | 501 (45.5) | 96 (25.0)* | 262 (42.5) | 118 (29.6) | 217 (46.0)* | 399 (39.2) | 198 (42.2) |
| Haemoptysis | 756 (50.9) | 608 (55.2) | 148 (38.5)* | 332 (53.8) | 176 (44.2) | 248 (52.9)* | 509 (50.0) | 247 (52.8) |
| Fever | 371 (25.0) | 298 (27.1) | 73 (19.0)* | 204 (33.1) | 73 (18.4) | 94 (20.0)* | 269 (26.5) | 102 (21.7) |
| Night sweats | 328 (22.1) | 265 (24.1) | 63 (16.4)* | 209 (33.9) | 54 (13.6) | 65 (13.8)* | 235 (23.1) | 93 (19.8) |
| Weakness | 398 (26.8) | 348 (31.6) | 50 (13.0)* | 212 (34.4) | 73 (18.3) | 113 (24.0)* | 270 (26.5) | 128 (27.3) |
| Weight loss | 318 (21.4) | 286 (26.0) | 32 (8.3)* | 190 (30.8) | 43 (10.8) | 85 (18.1)* | 220 (21.7) | 98 (20.9) |
| All above TB signs/symptoms | 132 (8.9) | 119 (10.8) | 13 (3.4) * | 84 (13.6) | 17 (4.3) | 31 (6.6) * | 88 (8.7) | 44 (9.4) |
| Students had knowledge of TB transmission | ||||||||
| TB is an infectious disease | 1231 (82.8) | 893 (81.0) | 338 (88.0)* | 531 (86.1) | 316 (79.4) | 384 (81.5)* | 854 (84.0) | 377 (80.4) |
| Transmitted by cough | 414 (27.9) | 338 (30.7) | 76 (19.8)* | 186 (30.1) | 92 (23.1) | 136 (29.0) | 293 (28.8) | 121 (25.8) |
| Transmitted by sneezing and talking loudly | 841 (56.6) | 607 (55.1) | 234 (60.9)* | 386 (62.6) | 191 (48.0) | 264 (56.3)* | 597 (58.8) | 244 (52.0)* |
| Students had knowledge of TB treatment | ||||||||
| TB is a treatable disease | 1183 (79.6) | 891 (81.0) | 292 (76.0)* | 477 (77.3) | 318 (80.1) | 388 (82.6)* | 802 (79.0) | 381 (81.4) |
| Duration of treatment | 439 (29.5) | 313 (28.5) | 126 (32.8)* | 207 (33.5) | 109 (27.5) | 123 (26.2)* | 304 (30.0) | 135 (28.8) |
| Aware of TB dispensary | 404 (27.2) | 267 (24.4) | 137 (35.7)* | 169 (27.4) | 108 (27.1) | 127 (27.0) | 270 (26.5) | 134 (28.6) |
| Aware of free treatment policy | 506 (34.1) | 345 (31.4) | 161 (41.9)* | 197 (31.9) | 123 (31.1) | 186 (39.5)* | 356 (35.1) | 150 (32.0) |
| Aware of DOTS | 215 (14.5) | 142 (12.9) | 73 (19.0)* | 110 (17.8) | 55 (13.9) | 50 (10.8)* | 148 (14.6) | 67 (14.3) |
*p<0.05.
†χ2 Test used to compare between men and women, different grades and different majors.
DOTS, Directly Observed Therapy Short Course; TB, tuberculosis.