Effect of training on frontline health workers’ knowledge and attitude towards tuberculosis screening and case finding in Oyo state, Nigeria

Background: Nigeria accounts for 11% of all undetected, ‘missing’ Tuberculosis cases. TB control is better achieved by improving the knowledge and attitude of frontline health workers (FLHWs) and this study aims to examine the effect of training on the level of knowledge and attitudinal disposition of FLHWs towards TB screening in Oyo State, Nigeria.Methods: Fifty-one (51) FLHWs enrolled on both intervention and control arms were trained on TB and Hypertension respectively. Outcomes were scores from each construct of the questionnaire administered at baseline and 8 weeks post intervention. The study was approved by Babcock University and Oyo State Ministry of Health.Results: Results showed that about 88% were females, CHOs were the most prominent cadre- 64%. At baseline, mean knowledge score at the intervention arm was 10.80 (control 10.61), range was 8-13 (control 7-13) and 61% had good knowledge (control 27%); this difference was however not statistically significant, p=0.55. Post intervention, all participants (100%) on the intervention arm had a good knowledge (control 73%), 47% of participants had good attitude score (control 12%). Mean knowledge score was 15.73 (control 11.92) and mean attitudinal score was 11.06 (control 8.86). Knowledge and attitude scores were statistically significantly higher in the intervention group <0.001.Conclusions: The study provides valuable information on the existing training gap at the lower levels of care towards TB control. Further study would be required to determine the effect of a change in knowledge and attitude on TB case finding.