Effect of the Health Literacy in Tuberculosis Disease Prevention Program on the Attitude and Self-care Behavior of People at Risk of Tuberculosis, Tha Sao Subdistrict, Tha Maka District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

Objectives: To study the effects of a health literacy in tuberculosis disease prevention program on attitude and self-care behavior of individuals at risk of tuberculosis in Tha Sao Subdistrict, Tha Maka District, Kanchanaburi Province.

Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with one-group pretest posttest designbetween 24-25 June 2024.The sample consisted of 33 elderly diabetic patients. Research tools included the health literacy for tuberculosis disease prevention program, a questionnaire on attitudes and self-care behaviors regarding tuberculosis disease then analyzed for reliability using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Content validity ranged from 0.67-1.0, and the overall reliability was 0.798. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and dependent t-tests.

Results: After participating in the health literacy for tuberculosis disease prevention program, the participants' mean attitude scores towards tuberculosis significantly increased compared to pre-program scores (30.21±3.17 and 26.55±3.52; p=0.001). Similarly, the participants' mean self-care behavior scores for individuals at risk of tuberculosis significantly increased compared to pre-program scores (44.24±5.78 and 38.49±8.10; p=0.001).

Conclusions: The use of the health literacy for tuberculosis disease prevention program, which employed interactive learning activities based on health literacy concepts, resulted in significant improvements in participants' attitudes towards tuberculosis and their self-care behaviors for preventing and protecting themselves from tuberculosis. This program should be implemented for individuals at risk of tuberculosis in both healthcare settings and crowded communities to prevent and control tuberculosis infection.