ABSTRACT:
Globally more than 1.3 million people die of the tuberculosis every year. Nearly one third of the world’s population is infected with TB Bacilli; approximately 10% of them have a life time risk of developing tuberculosis disease. Thus the descriptive study was thus undertaken with the objectives to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude regarding pulmonary tuberculosis of pulmonary tuberculosis patients under intensive and continuation phase, to determine the compliance of pulmonary tuberculosis patients to anti tuberculosis treatment (ATT). The research design selected for this study was descriptive-co relational survey design. The study was conducted at selected DOTS centre of district Ambala, Haryana, India. A total of 67 samples were selected purposively for the study - 32 patients receiving ATT under intensive phase and 35 patients receiving ATT under continuation phase. The tool used for data collection was a structured knowledge questionnaire, an attitude scale and Performa to assess Compliance rate. From the study findings, it was found that the pulmonary tuberculosis patients in both the phases had poor knowledge regarding pulmonary tuberculosis and ATT, moderately favorable attitude and had 100% compliance rate. There was markedly positive correlation between knowledge and attitude of patients under both phases of treatment. The knowledge of the tuberculosis patients under intensive phase was dependent on education whereas it was gender among the patients under continuation phase.