Faustine K K Nkulu|Anna?Karin Hurtig|Clas Ahlm|Ingela Krantz
Screening migrants for tuberculosis - a missed opportunity for improving knowledge and attitudes in high-risk groups: A cross-sectional study of Swedish-language students in Umeå, Sweden
Umeå University|Umeå University|Umeå University|Skaraborg Hospital
migrants countries highburden tuberculosis tb particular risk contracting developing disease sweden new immigrants routinely offered screening disease yet little known beliefs disease may affect healthcareseeking behaviours study assessed recent immigrant students knowledge attitudes towards tb relationship screening process data collected oneyear period survey questionnaire completed 268 immigrants consecutively registered two swedishlanguage schools ume sweden participants originated 133 different countries ages varied 1663 years descriptive multivariate logistic regression analyses performed though 72 screened knowledge general poor several misconceptions average knowledge score 27 13 sd maximum 8 40 15 268 respondents answered least half 51 knowledge items correctly average attitude score 51 33 sd maximum 12 meant respondents held negative attitudes towards tb diseased persons 67 lacked knowledge sources information 71 requested information vernacular knowledge level positively associated 12 years education informed tb moving sweden attitude positively associated years education heard swedish communicable disease act negatively associated middle east neither knowledge attitude affected health screening exposure tb information immigration sweden though majority contact swedish health professionals screening process knowledge tuberculosis among immigrants low several misconceptions negative attitudes information may currently inaccessible immigrants due language barrier unfamiliarity swedish healthcare system tb education included component screening programmes ensuring tailored educational background addressed misconceptions access problems could well help improve tb control communities