LAUSR

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem throughout the world, because of its frequency, contagiousness and economic weight. Progress in the management and control of the disease mainly requires the evaluation of epidemiological parameters. The purpose of the work is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the population in relation to TB Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, single-pass survey, representative of the general population, carried out in Tunisia during September 2011. The size of the sample was 1033 persons over 15 years old. The survey has 60 items extracted from the WHO guide. It has been translated, adjusted, tested and validated. Results: Mean age was 36.1 ± 15.9 years, 70.0% were between 15 and 44 years old. The sample was composed of 59.4% urban, 23.2% illiterate and 6.4% had a college degree. The level of the TB knowledge indicator was 3.8%. The prolonged cough, considered the main symptom of the disease, was cited by only 16.4% of the respondents. Only 37.2% incriminated a bacterium and only 48.7% recognized the non-hereditary nature of the disease. 86.1% had misconceptions about transmission. Only 22.1% were aware of free care. Television was cited as the main source of information about TB by 46.8%. In addition, this study revealed a significant level of stigma with an average score of 54.9%. Conclusion: Our study revealed a lack of knowledge about the symptoms of tuberculosis, the causative agent and the modes of transmission of the disease, as well as the modalities of management. A health education strategy with awareness-raising and social mobilization actions should be planned