Effect of educational intervention on TB knowledge and treatment adherence among a group of Somali caregivers of TB children: an interventional study | ||||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 07 July 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.394957.2907 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Ola Abdelmoneim Mostafa1; Rehab Ahmed Abdelhai1; Said Mohamed Nor2; Eman Ibrahim Elfar  1
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| 1Public Health and Community Medicine Department, faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| 2Doctoral student at Public Health and Community Medicine Department, faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Somalia | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Tuberculosis is a significant global health issue. It is one of the deadliest infectious diseases, among the 10 leading causes of death globally. Providing comprehensive education and support can empower TB patients and their families to understand the disease and achieve successful treatment outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of health educational intervention on knowledge and treatment adherence among caregivers of pediatric TB patients on anti-tuberculosis therapy in Mogadishu-Somalia. Methods: This single-arm interventional study was conducted at two major TB centers in Somalia: Banadir Hospital and Guled Hospital. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select 100 caregivers of children undergoing TB treatment. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, assessing TB knowledge, and treatment adherence. The intervention consisted of individualized educational sessions. Assessment of Knowledge scores of caregivers and treatment adherence were conducted two months after the intervention and compared to base line assessment. Results: the percentage of caregivers who correctly responded to knowledge questions about TB increased after receiving health education. However, this improvement was not statistically significant except for MDR-TB knowledge percentage, which increased from 49.0% to 87.0% (p-value of <0.001). overall knowledge scores increased from 69.7 ± 10.5 to 81.5 ± 8.0 (p < 0.001). Treatment adherence improved from 97% to 99%, though this change was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.621). Conclusion: Health education improved participants’ knowledge about TB and its treatment adherence. Therefore, health education of caregivers should be integrated in routine management of pediatric TB. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Keywords: Pediatric; Caregivers; Tuberculosis; Adherence; Somalia | ||||
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