title: Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding tuberculosis care among health workers in Southern Mozambique.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) control is more likely to be achieved if the level of knowledge regarding TB is increased among health workers managing high-risk groups. No formal assessments regarding knowledge, attitudes and practises of health workers about TB have been published for Mozambique, a country facing challenges in the fight against TB, with a fragile health system and considerable work overload of health personnel. The main objective of the study was to determine the level of knowledge, identify attitudes and assess practices regarding TB care and control among health care workers of the district of Manhiça.
  
  
  
  A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed through the use of a specifically designed Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) questionnaire in the district of Manhiça, a high tuberculosis and HIV burden rural area in Southern Mozambique. In this district, 14 health care facilities service a population of approximately 160,000 people. The questionnaire took 30-45 min to administer with external assistance not permitted. The survey contained 79 questions pertaining to four different areas: demographics, TB knowledge, attitudes and practices.
  
  
  
  The study sample included 170 health care workers. The average knowledge score was 14.89 points (SD = 3.61) out of a total possible 26 points. Less than 30% of respondents had heard of Xpert MTB/RIF®. Seventy per cent agreed there was stigma associated with TB and 48.2% believed this stigma was greater than that associated with HIV. The average practice score was 3.2 out of 9 points (35.6%, SD = 2.4).
  
  
  
  Health care worker's knowledge gaps identified in this study may result in substandard patient care. Specific deficiencies in understanding existed in terms of paediatric TB and Xpert MTB/RIF® testing. The present study provides impetus for tailored TB education among health care workers from a high TB burden rural area in Southern Mozambique.
authors.affiliation: School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noé
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Rafaela M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anselmo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maixenchs
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Infant Health Service, Manhiça District, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Layce
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sitole
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique.|Faculdade de Medicina, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Khatia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Munguambe
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique.|ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: le Souef
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), CP 1929, Maputo, Mozambique. alberto.garcia-basteiro@manhica.net.|ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. alberto.garcia-basteiro@manhica.net.|Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Amsterdam, The Netherlands. alberto.garcia-basteiro@manhica.net.
authors.forename: Alberto L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: García-Basteiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009073:Mozambique; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular
keywords: Attitudes; Control; Health care workers; Knowledge; Mozambique; Practises; Tuberculosis