title: Assessment of knowledge and practice about tuberculosis among eastern Ethiopian prisoners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of knowledge and practice related to TB and identify predictive factors in three prisons in eastern Ethiopia: Dire Dawa, Jijiga and Harar.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July and November 2008, 382 TB patients and suspects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only six (1.6%) prisoners described the cause of TB as being bacterial, while a wind locally known as 'nefas' was frequently mentioned (36.1%); nearly 75% of the prisoners correctly described breath as a mode of TB transmission; 116 (30.7%) did not know any measures for TB prevention and control; and half of the participants did not know that anti-tuberculosis drugs were provided free of charge. Significant predictors of TB knowledge were: incarceration in the Jijiga (OR 9.62, P < 0.001) and Dire Dawa (OR 2.14, P = 0.016) prisons, those who did not consult and receive treatment for TB symptoms (OR 2.46, P < 0.001), and prisoners without a past history of TB (OR 2.72, P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrates that prisoners have a modest level of biomedical knowledge. As part of the National TB Programme, health education programmes need to be implemented to enhance prisoners' knowledge of TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. shawelus@yahoo.com
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biffa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bjune
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ameni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abebe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D055815:Young Adult