Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Tuberculosis among Outpatients of a Rural Field Practice Area: A Cross-sectional Study in Uttar Pradesh, India

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant cause of morbidity worldwide, especially in the low and middle-income countries like India and is found to be more common in the rural areas. Delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment along with lower treatment adherence and completion rates have increased the morbidity and mortality of TB in the rural areas. The collation of information accumulated through the assessment of people’s Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) towards TB, helps in charting new health programs for the public, identifying lacunae, and devising interventions based on these lacunae, which in turn will help us to achieve the vision of a “TB free India” by 2025. Aim: To determine KAP and its association with TB among the study subjects. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on patients attending Outpatient Department (OPD) at the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) attached to NCR Institute of Medical Sciences, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, during January 2021 to April 2021. From a sample of 106 patients data of KAP regarding TB was collected via a structured questionnaire, which was predesigned and pretested. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to ascertain the association between subjects’ KAP regarding TB. A p-value