INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XI November 2025  
Knowledge and Preventive Practices Against Pulmonary  
Tuberculosis Amongst Young Adults of Randomly Selected Churches  
Within the Niger Delta Diocese in Rivers State, Nigeria  
Glory Conelius, Rosemary Chisom Osuala, Justin Ngwu, Eunice Osuala, Basil Ogbu, Florence Mandah  
Department of Respiratory, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital, Newcastle, North East England  
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.91100222  
Received: 20 November 2025; Accepted: 30 November 2025; Published: 05 December 2025  
ABSTRACT  
Global statistics from Pubmed suggests that young adults remain a significant but under-recognized population  
with Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). A systematic review found bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB  
prevalence ranging from 45 to 799 per 100,000 among adolescents and young adults in Asia-Pacific, and 160 to  
462 per 100,000 in African settings. Snow, K. J., etal 2018).  
Globally, it is estimated that between 1.2 and 3.0 million people aged 10–24 years develop TB each year. This  
highlights the fact that young adult’s age bracket accounts for a substantial portion of the global Tuberclosis  
(TB) burden.  
The findings of the 2023 World Tuberculosis Report, hold thats Nigeria is ranked sixth among the identified 30  
nations with highest cases of tuberculosis (TB) burden around the world, and the first in her continent Africa.  
(WHO Global TB Report 2024)  
The study herein was carried out to assess the knowledge and preventive practices against pulmonary  
tuberculosis (PTB) amongst young adults (15-26) in selected churches within the Niger Delta Diocese of Rivers  
State, Nigeria.  
Objectives:  
Three objectives were formulated to guide this study and they include;  
i. To ascertain if young adults know about pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected churches  
ii. To assess the precautionary measures taken against pulmonary tuberculosis  
iii. To identify the socio-demographic factors influencing pulmonary tuberculosis knowledge among young  
adults.  
Hypothesis: One null hypothesis was formulated to guide association.  
Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted.  
INTRODUCTION  
Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a leading cause of illness and mortality worldwide1. In 2021, an estimated 2.5  
million persons in Africa contracted tuberculosis2 . Furthermore, in 2021, 1.6 million persons died from  
tuberculosis. Furthermore, the occurrence rate of tuberculosis increased by 3.6% in 2021 compared to 2020,  
indicating a reversal from the tendency of nearly 2% decline per year during the previous two decades3, yet the  
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)4 primarily aim to reduce tuberculosis deaths by 90% by  
2030. Since the early twentieth century, TB rates have been documented to climb dramatically in young people.  
The majority of young adults globally live in low- and middle-income countries, where tuberculosis remains  
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ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XI November 2025  
endemic, accounting for 25% of the population. Despite this, young adults have not been regarded as a distinct  
demographic in tuberculosis policy or treatment programs, and new research reveals that current care models  
may not satisfy their needs5.  
Bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) inoculation or vaccination is now the only vaccine that provides modest  
protection against tuberculosis infection, and it frequently loses effectiveness during childhood6 . One of these  
approaches, particularly in Nigeria, resulted in the acceptance of Directly Observed Therapy Short Course  
(DOTS) as a TB control technique. It was revealed that approximately 5,000 DOTs facilities had been established  
in Nigeria, with the goal of providing free tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment to underprivileged areas7. The  
rising incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is related with greater health impairment, and patient mortality is a severe  
issue for society. This was supported by the findings of Nigeria's Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanir 8, who  
declared Nigeria having a 50% increase in annual tuberculosis case notification in 2021, with numbers increasing  
from 138,591 cases in 2020 to 207,785. Nigeria has the highest tuberculosis burden in Africa and sixth in the  
world9 .  
The importance of the knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis especially among young adults has been captured  
by some authors in their studies under two (2) targets; (i) redressing their poor knowledge about the signs and  
symptoms of PTB, as well as introducing the Bacilli Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine10, (ii) changing their poor  
adherence to treatment processes and the preference of traditional healers over the freely available standard and  
free medical care7 .  
The lead researcher has observed a concerning trend of young adults visiting the PTB unit at the Rivers State  
University Teaching Hospitals to receive treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis when she was posted at the TB  
unit. This trend suggests a gap in knowledge and prevention practices within this geographic. Furthermore, the  
decline in Bacilli Calmette Vaccine (BCG) immunization in young adults is an important point of concern. The  
BCG vaccine, which protects against severe types of tuberculosis, is often given throughout children. However,  
decreasing immunity and a lack of booster doses in maturity may enhance young individuals' susceptibility to  
pulmonary tuberculosis11. The young adults form a greater percentage of our populace.  
Methods  
The descriptive cross-sectional sampling technique was adopted. Sample size of 180 was using Taro Yamane  
formula. The instrument for data collection was a validated self-structured questionnaire. Ethical approval was  
obtained. The data was analysed using SPSS version 27. ANOVA was used to test for hypothesis at a 0.05 level  
of significance.  
Results  
The result show that the respondents have an average knowledge of PTB and a grand mean of 1.62 in the  
preventive practice. Only 41% received BCG and 88.3% have not gone for routine pulmonary tuberculosis  
screening. This suggests scaling up of both knowledge and practice of prevention. Level of practice and  
knowledge have significant relationship with the socio-demographic variables.  
Conclusion  
There is need for public health nurses, in collaboration with non-governmental agencies to take PTB awareness  
campaigns, to religious settings where this age bracket is clustered.  
Key words: Pulmonary tuberculosis, knowledge, preventive practices, churches.  
METHODS  
The study aims to assess the knowledge and preventive practices against pulmonary tuberculosis among young  
adults aged 15-26 years in selected churches within the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria. The specific  
churches included in the study are St. Paul Cathedral, St. Emmanuel Anglican Church, Church of Pentecost, St.  
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Matthew Anglican Church, St. Thomas Anglican Church, and Alpha and Omega Anglican Church. The study  
categorizes the young adults into three groups: younger adults (15-18 years), middle adults (19-22 years), and  
older adults (23-26 years)  
A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted.  
The target population of the study comprised a total of three hundred (300) young adults in the 6 selected  
Anglican churches presently in the membership list. The young adults belong to the age group of 15-27 years.  
This is the list of the population of young adults in each church:  
Table 1: List of churches and respective number  
S/N  
Name of Church  
Number  
72  
1
Cathedral church of St Paul  
St. Thomas Anglican church  
St. Matthew Anglican church  
Alpha and Omega Anglican church  
St. Emmanuel Anglican church  
Church of Pentecost  
2
62  
3
48  
4
36  
5
54  
6
28  
300  
Total  
The sample size of 188 was calculated using the Taro Yamane formula for a known population.  
Taro Yamane: n = N / (1 + N (e)2)  
Where: N = Total population  
n = sample size  
e = the margin error in the calculation  
N = 300, n = ?, e = 0.05  
n = 300 / (1 + 300 (0.05)2 )  
n=171.4  
For non-response: 171 + 10% of n  
171 + 17.1 = 188.1  
Therefore, the sample size is 188.  
A simple random sampling technique was used to select the six Anglican churches out of the 20 churches in  
Niger Delta North in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. To randomly select the churches, a RANDBETWEEN formula  
in Microsoft Excel was used to select the six churches. The 20 churches were arranged in alphabetical order (A-  
Z), and a number from 1 to 20 was given to each. The numbers picked by the RANDBETWEEN formula were  
17, 4, 5, 13, 1 and 20. This allowed every church to be given an equal chance of being selected.  
From the six churches, a sample size of 188 was obtained for this study.  
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ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XI November 2025  
Young adults within the age bracket of 15-26 years in the six selected churches who are willing to participate  
were included in the study. Non-attendees of the six selected churches were excluded.  
The face and content validity of the instrument were determined by the researcher’s supervisor and two (2) other  
research experts. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using a Cronbach Alpha (ra) method, and the  
value was .872.  
Ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of Rivers State University Teaching  
Hospital (RSUTH/REC/2023332). Informed consent was obtained from all the participants, and they were  
informed that it is voluntary and there would be no consequence for participants if they do not want to participate.  
Confidentiality was ensured.  
The instrument utilized for data collection was titled “Knowledge and Preventive Practices against Pulmonary  
Tuberculosis among Young Adults Questionnaire” (KAPPAPTAYAQ). The instrument was a self-structured  
25-itemed instrument patterned after an optional “Yes” and “No” response format. The instrument was in three  
(3) sections; Section A comprised of seven (7) demographic characteristics, Section B comprised 12 items on  
the basic knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis, and Section C comprised of seven (7) items on preventive  
practices against pulmonary tuberculosis. Subjects were selected purposefully.  
Data was collected by face-to-face direct delivery technique, which was used by the researcher and research  
assistant to effectively explain, and make clarifications (where necessary)  
A total of 188 questionnaires were administered, with 182 retrieved, giving a response rate of 96.8%. Out of the  
182 retrieved questionnaires, only 180 could be used because the rest were incomplete, giving a data  
completeness rate of 95.7%. Therefore, the 180 retrieved questionnaires were used and analysed.  
The collected data was analysed using a descriptive statistic: frequency, percentage, and mean (with a criterion  
mean cut-off of 1.5) to answer the research questions. The analysis was done with the aid of Statistical Product  
and Service Solution (SPSS) 27.0 and Microsoft Excel. ANOVA was used to calculate the hypotheses  
Conditions for Decision on the Mean  
The criterion mean cut-off for the research questions stated in this study was attained by the total or aggregate  
of all the scores of the “Yes” and “No” rating scale that was assigned to the items in the instrument. Two-point  
rating scale was used i: Yes (YES, 2 Points), and No (NO, 1 Point)  
The criterion mean cut-off = 2+1/2 = 3/2 = 1.5  
Therefore, the mean cut-off score was 1.5; hence, items equal and above the score of 1.5 were accepted or rated  
as positive while items below 1.5 were rated as Negative.Knowledge was categorized into three: low, moderate  
and high.Values for low knowledge is below 49, moderate knowledge 50 – 74 and high knowledge above 75  
RESULTS  
Table 2: The demographic characteristics of respondents. n = 180  
Items  
100%  
Percent(%)  
f
1. Age group  
15 – 18  
19- 22  
23- 26  
Total  
43  
74  
63  
180  
79  
23.9  
41.1  
35.0  
100  
2. Gender  
Male  
43.9  
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Female  
101  
180  
69  
56.1  
100  
38.3  
48.9  
6.1  
Total  
3. Occupation  
Student  
Employed  
Self-employed  
Unemployed  
Total  
88  
11  
12  
6.7  
180  
-
100  
-
4. Level of education  
5. Income per month  
6. Current Residence  
Primary  
Secondary  
Higher education  
Total  
26  
14.4  
85.6  
100  
19.4  
61.2  
19.4  
100  
85.6  
14.4  
100  
154  
180  
35  
Below 30,000  
₦31,000- ₦100,000  
Above ₦100,000  
Total  
110  
35  
180  
154  
26  
Urban area  
Rural area  
Total  
180  
TABLE 2: This indicates demographic characteristics of the respondents. The demographic characteristics  
include their age group, gender, income, occupation, education, and current residence. The majority, 41.5%,  
belong to the age group of 19-24. 154 respondents attested to having gotten a higher education. Females were  
the highest in number, 101 (56.2%). 88 (48.9%) are employed, and 154 (85.6%) of the respondents live in urban  
regions.  
NAME OF CHURCH  
200  
180  
180  
160  
140  
120  
100  
80  
60  
40  
20  
0
46  
36  
33  
30  
19  
16  
Alpha and Omega  
Church of  
penticost  
Emmanuel  
St Matthew  
St Thomas  
St Paul Cathedral  
Total  
anglican church Anglican church Anglican church  
Fig. 1: Church of respondents  
Source: Author (Microsoft EXCEL)  
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Fig .1 Represents the selected six churches used for this study and the number of respondents from each church.  
Majority of the respondents attend St. Paul Cathedral.  
RESEARCH QUESTION 1: What do the young adults know about pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected  
churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State?  
TABLE 3: The frequency and percentage of the knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis among respondents  
n=180 100%  
Items  
f
%
1. Have you heard of pulmonary  
tuberculosis?  
Yes  
180  
-
100  
No  
-
2. What causes pulmonary tuberculosis?  
Bacteria  
93  
27  
25  
35  
154  
9
51.7  
15.0  
13.9  
19.4  
85.6  
5.0  
Virus  
Fungus  
Don’t know  
3. How is pulmonary TB transmitted from  
person to person?  
Coughing or sneezing  
Sharing food or utensils  
Sexual contact  
11  
6
6.1  
Touching contaminated surfaces  
3.3  
4. What are the most common symptoms  
of pulmonary tuberculosis?  
Persistent cough  
Fever  
90  
33  
-
50.0  
18.3  
-
Weight loss  
Night sweats  
All the above  
Yes  
-
-
57  
125  
55  
67  
82  
31  
47  
78  
55  
100  
80  
31.7  
69.4  
30.5  
37.2  
45.6  
17.2  
26.1  
43.3  
30.6  
55.6  
44.4  
5. Is pulmonary TB a curable disease?  
No  
6. How many doses is given for Bacilli  
Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine  
One  
Two  
Three  
7. At what age should the BCG vaccine be  
taken?  
Age 2  
Age 5  
At birth  
Yes  
8. Do you know pulmonary tuberculosis  
can affects other part of your body and lead  
to death if not treated?  
No  
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9. What are the main treatment options for  
pulmonary TB  
Antibiotics  
110  
63  
7
61.1  
35.0  
3.9  
Surgery  
Traditional/herbal remedies  
Vaccination (BCG)  
10. How can pulmonary TB be prevented  
126  
40  
70.0  
22.2  
Covering the mouth when coughing  
with your handkerchief  
Avoiding close contacts with TB  
patients  
7
7
3.9  
3.9  
Don’t know  
Source: Author (SPSS Output, 2024).  
TABLE 3: A significant number of the respondents (52.8%) are aware of pulmonary tuberculosis, and the  
majority (51.7%) correctly identified bacteria as a cause of pulmonary tuberculosis. On the basis of transmission  
majority, 85.6% correctly identified coughing or sneezing as the mode of transmission. The most common  
symptom recognised was persistent cough (50.0%). A significant majority, 69.4%, are aware that pulmonary TB  
is curable. According to the results, only 37.2% of respondents correctly identified that one dose is given for the  
BCG vaccine. Only 30.6% of respondents correctly identified that the vaccine should be given at birth. 55.6%  
recognize the serious nature of untreated pulmonary tuberculosis. 70.0% are aware of the importance of BCG  
vaccination in preventing TB.  
To assess the knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis of the young adults, the percentage of the total number of  
respondents that had the correct answers in each item was calculated and divided by the total items: 100 + 51.7  
+ 85.6 + 31.7 + 69.4 + 37.2 + 30.6 + 55.6 + 61.1 + 70.0 (%) = 592.9/10 = 59.3%. The overall score of 59% falls  
within the moderate knowledge category (50-79%).  
Source of information for "Yes" respondents  
30  
25  
20  
15  
Frequency  
25  
10  
5
20  
16  
15  
10  
9
0
Church  
Health care  
workers  
School  
Internet  
Family members  
Friends  
Fig. .2 Frequency of respondent’s source of information  
Source: Microsoft Excel  
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Fig 2 : Majority of the respondents had their source of information on pulmonary tuberculosis from health care  
workers.  
RESEARCH QUESTION 2: What are the precautionary measures taken against pulmonary tuberculosis  
among young adults in the selected churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State.  
Table 4: the frequency and the percentage of preventive practices against pulmonary tuberculosis among the  
respondents  
n=180  
Items  
Yes  
f
No  
f
Mean  
%
%
1.  
Have you received the BCG vaccine against  
75  
41.7  
31  
17.2  
1.01  
2.00  
1.89  
1.37  
1.12  
1.98  
2.00  
1.62  
Tuberculosis  
2.  
Do you cover your mouth and nose when  
180  
161  
66  
100.0  
89.4  
36.7  
11.7  
98.3  
100.0  
-
-
coughing or sneezing  
3.  
Do you open the windows and doors to  
19  
114  
159  
3
10.9  
63.3  
88.3  
1.7  
-
improve ventilation in your living/working space  
4.  
Do you wear a mask when in a crowded or  
enclosed space  
5.  
Have you ever been screened for TB symptoms  
21  
(e.g. persistent cough, fever, weight loss)  
6. If you had TB symptoms would you seek  
medical attention  
177  
180  
7.  
Would you encourage your family and friends  
-
to get tested for TB if you notice symptoms  
GRAND MEAN  
YE(Yes) = ≥ 1.50 while No (No) ˂ 1.50.  
Source: SPSS Output, 2024  
TABLE 4: This table shows the precautionary measures taken against pulmonary tuberculosis among the  
respondents in the selected churches. The result shows that 41% have received the BCG vaccination, while  
41.1% do not know if they have received the BCG vaccination, and 17.2% attested NO to having not received  
it. All respondents demonstrated a universal adherence to this preventive practice of covering the mouth and  
nose when sneezing or coughing. Most respondents 89.4% take steps to improve ventilation in their living room  
or working space. Only 66 respondents about 36.7% wear masks in crowded or enclosed spaces. A small  
percentage of respondents 11.7% have been screened for TB symptoms showing that majority 88.3% have not  
undergone screening. Almost all respondents 177 out of 180 (98.3%) would seek medical attention if they had  
symptoms. All respondents 100.0% would encourage their family and friends to get tested for TB if symptoms  
were noticed. The grand mean of 1.62 generally suggests a positive practice towards pulmonary tuberculosis  
prevention. However, the lower rates of mask-wearing and TB symptom screening highlight areas that need  
improvement.  
RESEARCH QUESTION 3: what are the demographic factors that influence young adults’ knowledge of  
pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected churches in the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State.  
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Table 5: Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the difference between the demographic characteristics  
of young adults and their knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis.  
Demographic  
Characteristics  
Source  
Variation  
of Sum  
Squares  
of df  
Mean  
Square  
F
Sig.  
Age group  
Between Groups  
Within Groups  
Total  
53.979  
49.799  
103.778  
24.866  
19.462  
44.328  
60.173  
61.405  
121.578  
28.550  
41.450  
70.000  
18  
2.999  
.309  
9.695  
.000  
S
161  
179  
18  
Between Groups  
Within Groups  
Total  
1.381  
.121  
11.428  
8.765  
6.161  
9.012  
Gender  
.000  
.000  
S
S
161  
179  
18  
Occupation  
Between Groups  
Within Groups  
Total  
3.343  
.381  
161  
179  
18  
Income  
Between Groups  
Within Groups  
Total  
1.586  
.257  
.000  
S
161  
179  
Grand Total  
84.921  
0.000  
S
Decision Rule: if p<.05, retains association between socio-demographic data and knowledge , S=significant .  
while NS= Not Significant is p>.05.  
Source: SPSS Output, 2024.  
Table 5 shows that the different demographic characteristics (such as age, gender, education level, and income)  
of young adults have significant influence on their knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected churches  
in the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria (F16, 185=.000, F= 9.012, p<.05). Specifically, age (F18,  
161=.000, F= 9.695, p<.05), gender (F18, 161=.000, F= 11.428, p<.05), occupation (F18, 161=.000, F= 8.765,  
p<.05), and income (F18, 161=.000, F= 6.161, p<.05) all had significant influence on their knowledge of  
pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected churches in the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria. This indicated  
that the young adults across age, gender, occupation, and income differed in their knowledge of pulmonary  
tuberculosis in the selected churches in the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State. Hence, the different demographic  
characteristics of young adults significantly influenced their knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis in the selected  
churches in the Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State.  
Test Of Hypotheses  
Hypothesis: There is no significance difference between the knowledge and the preventive practices of  
pulmonary tuberculosis among selected churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria.  
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Table 6: Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the difference between the knowledge and the  
preventive practices of pulmonary tuberculosis among selected churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State.  
Source of Variation  
Between Groups  
Within Groups  
Total  
Sum of Squares  
1.175  
Df  
5
Mean Square  
.235  
F
Sig.  
Decision  
1.166  
.328  
NS  
35.057  
174  
179  
.201  
36.232  
Decision Rule: if p<.05 reject Ho, else retain Ho. NS= Not Significant, p>.05, S= significant, p<.05.  
Source: SPSS Output, 2024.  
Table 6 shows that the knowledge of young adults has no significant influence on the preventive practices of  
pulmonary tuberculosis among selected churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria (F5, 174=.328,  
F= 1.166, p>.05). The null hypothesis was retained. This indicated that the different knowledge possessed by  
young adults did differ in their rating on the preventive practices of pulmonary tuberculosis among selected  
churches in Niger Delta Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria. Hence, there is significant difference between the  
knowledge and the preventive practices of pulmonary tuberculosis among selected churches in Niger Delta  
Diocese, Rivers State, Nigeria  
DISCUSSION  
Knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis among young adults in the selected churches in the Niger Delta Diocese,  
Rivers State.  
The assessment of knowledge comprised of the awareness, causes, transmission, symptoms, treatment,  
complications, and prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis and their source of information.  
The results on the assessment of knowledge showed that the respondents had a moderate level of knowledge.  
This is contrary to the study conducted at Saudi Arabia where the respondents had a poor knowledge12 The  
robust Nigerian curriculum may have made the difference. More than half of the respondents are aware of  
pulmonary tuberculosis just like in the study by Maduebo et al13.  
Precautionary measures against pulmonary tuberculosis among young adults in the selected churches in the Niger  
Delta Diocese, Rivers State.  
The result indicated that there is relatively high compliance with certain precautionary measures among the  
respondents from the selected churches; these practices include covering the mouth/nose when coughing or  
sneezing, and seeking medical attention if experiencing PTB symptoms. The findings attested respondents  
having a good ventilation practise. More than half of young adults practice proper ventilation. This is consistent  
with the work by Wikkurendra et al14.where it was revealed that the activity of opening windows every morning  
is a way to prevent pulmonary tuberculosis, This is because sunlight inhibits the growth or survival of the  
tuberculosis bacteria. PTB screening showed a poor practice among the respondents in this study. This finding  
is consistent with the study by Junaid et al. (2021) where few respondents had ever been screened for pulmonary  
tuberculosis  
Legal implication  
In this study 88.3% have never gone for routine tuberculosis screening, even though the respondents showed  
average knowledge of tuberculous disease. This may be because Nigeria, like other countries of the world  
focuses on global best practices and does not have a policy that will compel individuals to go for PTB screening  
even though Screening is a core public health approach in the prevention and control of both communicable and  
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non-communicable diseases. A patient's right to the refusal of care is founded upon one of the basic ethical  
principles of medicine, autonomy. This principle states that every person has the right to make informed  
decisions about their healthcare and that healthcare professionals should not impose their own beliefs or  
decisions upon their patients or clients 16,17  
.
Identify the socio-demographic factors influencing pulmonary tuberculosis knowledge among respondents  
The soci9o-demographic data used for this study include age, gender, occupation and income. The findings of  
this study showed that socio-demographic data influence pulmonary tuberculosis knowledge among young  
adults.  
Firstly, age is a significant influence on the knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis, this finding aligns with a  
study in the Western region of Saudi Arabia where individuals between 18-20 years were part of the factors  
associated with younger age12. The study points out the need for targeted educational intervention of pulmonary  
tuberculosis among young adults. This is also consistent with the findings where age, educational level and work  
experience were factors found to be significantly associated with knowledge18.  
The findings show that gender significantly influences pulmonary tuberculosis knowledge. This resonates with  
the result of a study among students of Cambodia, where the predictors of good knowledge were being female,  
studying in a health-related field and having a higher socioeconomic status19. Though, it is contrary to a study  
where the males were predictors of good knowledge of tuberculosis symptoms20. This also resonates with Luba  
et al. (2019) and Ogbeyi et al. (2020) where knowledge of tuberculosis had a significant difference between male  
and female respondents.  
A study of predictors of tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes and practices among residents of urban slums in  
Lagos, Nigeria shows that the predictors of good knowledge were increasing age, post-secondary education and  
professional occupation21.. This is contrary to a study among final year medical students that had a good  
knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis. The opposite outcome in Ali’s work is based on the discipline of the  
respondents22.  
Lastly, income is shown to have a significant influence on knowledge, This finding aligns with the study where  
low income correlates with poor health knowledge, leading to increased tuberculosis incidence and adverse  
treatment effects. The findings also showed that patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds had a prevalence  
of adverse events during treatment, suggesting a link between income and health literacy regarding pulmonary  
tuberculosis23.  
CONCLUSION  
This study assessed the level of knowledge and preventive practices against pulmonary tuberculosis among  
young adults in the selected churches. The findings of this study among this population showed that there is  
a need for educational intervention, especially on the socio-demographic factors that influence the  
knowledge of pulmonary tuberculosis. Even though the principle of autonomy has to be applied, nurses should  
advocate for routine screening and testing, especially in high-risk populations, to facilitate early detection and  
treatment. Health education and awareness campaigns in schools and worship centres could make the change to  
empower young adults on the various aspects or phases of the disease management, as well as their  
understanding of early detection of symptoms and appropriate care-seeking behaviours that would improve  
tuberculosis (PTB) prevention and control. Advanced laboratory study on BCG may need to be carried out to  
improve its potency with only one shot irrespective of storage temperature.  
Author’s statement  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  
We acknowledge all the authors and churches whose articles/settings were used.  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)  
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XI November 2025  
Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Rivers State Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt,  
Rivers State, Nigeria (RSUTH/REC/2023332).  
Funding: Not funded by any organization  
Competing Interests: None  
Author contribution: Contribution is by all authors  
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