Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 7 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of global health

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on paediatric tuberculosis in rural Tanzania: insights for enhanced detection and care.

  • Elisabetta Venturini1
  • Giada Rinninella2
  • Ludovica Facchini3
  • Roberta Pellegrino4
  • Andrea Miftode5
  • Agnese Tamborino1
  • Leila Bianchi1
  • Francesca Corsi6
  • Pendo Paschal Masanja7
  • Stephen Matthew Kibusi7
  • Alpha N Kwilasa8
  • Hamoud Ndengue6,8
5 more authors
  • Peres Lukango8
  • Daniela Cuomo6
  • Luca Scali3,9
  • Maria José Caldés Pinilla3,9
  • Luisa Galli1,10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.
  2. 2Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.
  3. 3Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.
  4. 4Department of Paediatrics, AORN San Giuseppe Moscati, Avellino, Italy.
  5. 5Experimental and Clinical Medicine Department, University of Florence, Italy.
  6. 6Centro Mondialità Sviluppo Reciproco, Livorno, Italy.
  7. 7School of Nursing and Public Health, University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania.
  8. 8Regional TB and Leprosy Programme-Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania Ministry of Health, Dodoma, Tanzania.
  9. 9Global Health Centre, Tuscany Region, Florence, Italy.
  10. 10Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Background

Paediatric tuberculosis (TB) remains underdiagnosed worldwide, with nearly 50% of cases missed. This issue is especially prominent in high-burden settings, where data on healthcare capacity for paediatric TB detection are limited. We assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding paediatric TB among healthcare workers (HCWs), community health workers (CHWs), and families in rural Tanzania.Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional KAP survey in Kondoa District (Dodoma Region) from November 2023 to October 2024. We measured knowledge and attitudes using validated questionnaires and assessed practices through reported TB-related activities.Results

Our sample included 87 HCWs, 86 CHWs, and 78 caregivers. Median knowledge scores (maximum = 18) were 11.2 (interquartile range (IQR) = 9.2-12.9) for HCWs and 8.9 (IQR = 7.9-9.8) for CHWs. Clinicians outperformed paramedical staff (P < 0.01), with those who had <5 years' experience scoring better. Attitude scores were high at 3.25/4 for HCWs and 3.1/4 for CHWs, with a moderate knowledge-attitude correlation among HCWs (ρ = 0.344, P = 0.001). Practice gaps were substantial: 17.2% of HCWs never diagnosed paediatric TB, only 24% referred for advanced diagnostics, and 38% of CHWs reported no cases. Although 92% of caregivers were aware of TB, only 1.8% of children had documented diagnoses.Conclusions

Despite adequate knowledge, implementation gaps persist, suggesting systemic barriers. Strengthening diagnostics, referrals, training and stronger integration of CHWs into paediatric TB care pathways is essential.

Related

  1. A mixed-methods study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to gluten-free diets in india
    Panchali Moitra, Bushra Salim Qureshi
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textGeneral medicineCrossref
  2. Healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding perioperative ischemic stroke in elderly patients
    Li Zhang, Hao Nie, Hui Sun +3
    Frontiers in medicinePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  3. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self‐Care Practices for the Prevention of Puerperal Sepsis and Factors of Self‐Care Practices in Peri‐Urban Areas of Dessie, Ethiopia: A Cross‐Sectional Study
    Abdulaziz Assefa, Mohammedjud Mursal, Aynalem Belay +5
    Health science reportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  4. Parental knowledge, attitudes, and discretionary practices regarding children’s dietary salt intake in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study
    Almoutaz Hashim, Enad Alsolami, Sami Alobaidi
    Frontiers in public healthPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEpidemiology & public healthEurope PMC
  5. Factor structure and psychometric validation of the antenatal exercise knowledge, attitudes, and practices questionnaire : A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from Saudi Arabian pregnant women
    Abdullah Hussain Alzahrani, Wael Alghamdi
    MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{venturini2026knowledge,
  title = {{Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on paediatric tuberculosis in rural Tanzania: insights for enhanced detection and care.}},
  author = {Elisabetta Venturini and Giada Rinninella and Ludovica Facchini and Roberta Pellegrino and Andrea Miftode and Agnese Tamborino and Leila Bianchi and Francesca Corsi and Pendo Paschal Masanja and Stephen Matthew Kibusi and Alpha N Kwilasa and Hamoud Ndengue and Peres Lukango and Daniela Cuomo and Luca Scali and Maria José Caldés Pinilla and Luisa Galli},
  journal = {Journal of global health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.7189/jogh.16.04291},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924622},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on paediatric tuberculosis in rural Tanzania: insights for enhanced detection and care.
AU  - Elisabetta Venturini
AU  - Giada Rinninella
AU  - Ludovica Facchini
AU  - Roberta Pellegrino
AU  - Andrea Miftode
AU  - Agnese Tamborino
AU  - Leila Bianchi
AU  - Francesca Corsi
AU  - Pendo Paschal Masanja
AU  - Stephen Matthew Kibusi
AU  - Alpha N Kwilasa
AU  - Hamoud Ndengue
AU  - Peres Lukango
AU  - Daniela Cuomo
AU  - Luca Scali
AU  - Maria José Caldés Pinilla
AU  - Luisa Galli
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - Journal of global health
DO  - 10.7189/jogh.16.04291
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924622
AB  - Background  Paediatric tuberculosis (TB) remains underdiagnosed worldwide, with nearly 50% of cases missed. This issue is especially prominent in high-burden settings, where data on healthcare capacity for paediatric TB detection are limited. We assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding paediatric TB among healthcare workers (HCWs), community health workers (CHWs), and families in rural Tanzania.Methods  We conducted a cross-sectional KAP survey in Kondoa District (Dodoma Region) from November 2023 to October 2024. We measured knowledge and attitudes using validated questionnaires and assessed practices through reported TB-related activities.Results  Our sample included 87 HCWs, 86 CHWs, and 78 caregivers. Median knowledge scores (maximum = 18) were 11.2 (interquartile range (IQR) = 9.2-12.9) for HCWs and 8.9 (IQR = 7.9-9.8) for CHWs. Clinicians outperformed paramedical staff (P < 0.01), with those who had <5 years' experience scoring better. Attitude scores were high at 3.25/4 for HCWs and 3.1/4 for CHWs, with a moderate knowledge-attitude correlation among HCWs (ρ = 0.344, P = 0.001). Practice gaps were substantial: 17.2% of HCWs never diagnosed paediatric TB, only 24% referred for advanced diagnostics, and 38% of CHWs reported no cases. Although 92% of caregivers were aware of TB, only 1.8% of children had documented diagnoses.Conclusions  Despite adequate knowledge, implementation gaps persist, suggesting systemic barriers. Strengthening diagnostics, referrals, training and stronger integration of CHWs into paediatric TB care pathways is essential.
SN  - 2047-2978
SN  - 2047-2986
ER  -