Abstract:

Objective To realize the current situation on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control among non-medical students in Xi’an, construct a structure equation model (SEM) of students’ KAP of TB control based on KAP theory to explore the interaction mechanism of basic information, history of contact and health education, knowledge, attitude and behavior, and then put forward to the suggestions and countermeasures for the practice of TB prevention and control in colleges.Methods Eight hundred and fifty-one students from 4 non-medical colleges of Xi’an selected by purposive sampling were investigated with the questionnaire of the national survey of KAP to TB control designed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (which includes items related knowledge, attitude, behavior of TB prevention and care), and a self-design general information questionnaire (including questions related students’ basic information and personal history) from Dec. 2016 to Mar. 2017. A total of 808 valid questionnaires were collected with an effective rate of 94.9%. Amos 21.0 was used to analyze the relationship between basic information, personal history, knowledge, attitude and behavior.Results The score of knowledge related TB prevention and care was low. About 70.8% (1715/2424) and 37.1% (600/1616) students hold a positive attitude and behavior, respectively. The KAP structural equation model fitting degree was good. Some goodness-of-fit indices were as follows: goodness of fit index=0.97, adjusted goodness of fit index=0.95, comparative fit index=0.95. The results of SEM showed that personal history, knowledge and attitude had positive effects on behavior. Knowledge had the biggest total effect of 0.74 on behavior: the direct effect coefficient was 0.69 (CR=8.38, P=0.003), and the coefficient of indirect effect of knowledge on behavior through influencing attitude was 0.05 (P=0.003). The personal history had an indirect influence behavior with the coefficients of 0.45 (P=0.001). Attitude had a minimum direct effect of 0.16 on behavior (CR=2.79, P=0.007).Conclusion Knowledge of TB prevention and care among non-medical students in Xi’an needs to be improved. Knowledge, personal history, and attitude all can affect students’ behavior of TB prevention and control, whereas the effect of attitude is limited. Therefore, comprehensive and effective interventions should be taken to improve the students’ awareness of TB, establish a correct attitude towards TB prevention and control, and make them actively learn and disseminate knowledge of prevention and control, emphasizing on the simultaneous development of KAP.

Key words: Students, Tuberculosis, Health knowledge, attitudes, practice, Models, structural, Data interpretation, statistical