Knowledge and determinants regarding tuberculosis among medical students in Hunan, China: a cross-sectional study

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Insufficient TB knowledge may increase the risk of contracting the disease among medical students. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of TB knowledge and analyse related determinants among medical students. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed among final-year medical students from three main undergraduate medical universities in Hunan Province. TB knowledge, attitude and practice were assessed using a questionnaire. A t-test and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to explore the association between TB knowledge and influencing factors. Results The total mean percentage of correct answers for TB knowledge was 44.4% (SD 13.5%), including 52.5% (SD 16.8%) for epidemiology and prevention, 35.7% (SD 16.1%) for diagnosis, and 47.5% (SD 22.7%) for treatment. Medical students who reported observing at least one TB case and an X-ray of a TB patient had a higher percentage of correct answers for epidemiology and prevention (54.4% vs 43.9%, p