%0 Journal Article
%T Awareness of the Warning Signs, Risk Factors, and Treatment for Tuberculosis among Urban Nigerians
%A Olufemi O. Desalu
%A Adekunle O. Adeoti
%A Abayomi Fadeyi
%A Alakija K. Salami
%A Ademola E. Fawibe
%A Olanrewaju O. Oyedepo
%J Tuberculosis Research and Treatment
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/369717
%X Objectives. To determine the awareness of the warning signs, risk factors, and treatment of tuberculosis among urban Nigerians. Methods. This was a cross-sectional survey among 574 adults in Ilorin, Nigeria. Semistructured questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers to obtain information about awareness of tuberculosis warning signs, risk factors, and treatment. Results. Majority of the subjects (71.4%) were aware of at least one warning sign of tuberculosis. Cough (66.2%), weight loss (38.0%), and haemoptysis (30.7%) were the most identified warning signs. The predictors of awareness of warning sign were increasing age ( ), higher family income ( ), higher level of education ( ), and belonging to Christian faith ( ). Awareness of risk factors for tuberculosis was higher for tobacco smokers (77.0%) and history of contact with a case of TB (76.0%). Less than half were aware of HIV infection (49.8%), alcohol consumption (42.5%), chronic kidney disease (40.4%), extremes of ages (39.4%), cancers (36.9%), and diabetes mellitus (27.5%) as risk factors for TB. Tuberculosis was reported to be curable by 74.6% of the subjects and 67.9% knew that there are medications for treatment of tuberculosis, while 11.5% knew the duration of treatment. Conclusion. This study has revealed that the awareness of HIV and noncommunicable diseases as risk factors for TB is poor. This study has therefore demonstrated the need for health education programs that will emphasize recognition, identification, and modification of risk factor for TB. 1. Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually affects the lungs in 80% of cases with warning signs of cough, haemoptysis, and chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, weight loss, and drenching night sweat [1]. TB is spread mainly through the air inform of droplets. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk, laugh or spit, droplets containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis are sprayed into the air. People nearby may inhale the bacteria and become infected. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can remain viable as air-borne droplet suspended in the air for a long time or as part of house dust for weeks. However, transmission usually occurs only after substantial exposure to someone with active TB [1, 2]. A person can be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis for many years without getting sick or spreading the organism to other people. If the immune system is weakened by immunosuppressive disease like HIV infection, diabetes mellitus, malignancy, chronic
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/trt/2013/369717/