Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Pulmonary Tuberculosis as an Occupational Health Disease Among Miners at Neelkanth in Ndola, Zambia

Abstract

Zambia is one of the many countries in sub-Saharan Africa that is burdened by tuberculosis (TB). The Zambia National TB prevalence survey 2013–2014 estimated the prevalence rate of all forms of bacteriologically confirmed Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) among those aged 15years and above to be at 638 per 100000 populations which is higher than the prevalence rate in high TB burden countries such as Pakistan and Nigeria. Mine workers in Southern Africa including Zambia tend to have poor living and working conditions thereby having increased risk of TB and in addition working in the mines increases exposure to silica dust leading them to developing silicosis which increases their risk of developing PTB. The general objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding TB as an occupational health disease among miners at Neelkanth mine in Ndola. This was a cross sectional study that assessed the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of miners regarding TB as an occupational health disease. The study was conducted at Neelkanth mine in Bwana M’kubwa area, Ndola rural. Study participants were miners. The calculated sample size for the study was 384. A questionnaire was used to collect data from study participants. Data was entered and analysed using Spss version 16.0, Pearson chi squared test was performed and the output was then analysed further using multivariate logistic regression at 95% confidence interval. This study resulted in a total of 357 study participants instead of the calculated 384 that were enrolled into the study, due to the fact that 27 questionnaires were incomplete and therefore eliminated from the study. The difference of knowledge levels about TB as an occupational health hazard and sex (male/female) was very good and in relation to age groups it was very good as well. The mean age was calculated to be 32.9 (standard deviation [SD]: 7.4) years, with the majority of participants aged between 18-40years. Comparing the participants that could define TB to those that could not, those that could define were 1.84 times more likely to have good knowledge levels (CI₉₅: 1.17, 2.91). Likewise, participants were 1.66 times more likely to know preventive measure of TB as an occupational health hazard compared to those who did not know (CI₉₅: 1.18, 2.32). This study revealed through multivariate regression analysis of the results that there is a significant association between knowledge, attitude, practice and TB as an occupational health disease. These findings highlight the need for TB education amongst miners.