Prevalence and Knowledge of Tuberculosis among HIV Patients Accessing Care at Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: TB infection is one of the leading causes of death among HIV patients because of  the burden of TB HIV co-infection on the immunity of affected persons. Estimation of the prevalence of TB among these clients will enhance screening, early diagnosis and treatment. In addition, knowledge of TB among these clients is of relevance to their care. Objectives: The study aimed at assessing the prevalence and knowledge of tuberculosis among HIV patients accessing care at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) Aba. Materials and Methods: This was an institutional-based cross-sectional, descriptive study involving 315 patients who accessed HIV care at Abia State University Teaching Hospital from June to September 2019. Data was obtained from the patients using semi-structured questionnaires which were self- administered within the period of study and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.0. Statistical significance was set at P-value of < 0.05. Results: A total of 315 HIV patients assessing care at ABSUTH participated in the study; 66.0% were females and 34.0% were males with 40.0% within the age of 26-35 and about 40.0% were married. All the patients had heard of tuberculosis and 43.8% knew the cause of tuberculosis while 56.8% knew how it could be contracted. Prevalence of TB in the study population was 30.8%. Patient’s educational level and awareness of risk of TB among HIV patients showed statistically significant relationship with previous treatment for TB (p=0.03 and 0.04 respectively).