Yenni Lukita, Renita Renita, Indri Erwhani

PENGARUH EDUKASI KESEHATAN TERHADAP TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN MASYARAKAT TENTANG TUBERCULOSIS PARU

Introduction

Pengaruh edukasi kesehatan terhadap tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat tentang tuberculosis paru. Teliti pengaruh edukasi kesehatan pada tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat tentang tuberkulosis paru. Studi kuasi-eksperimen ini menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan pengetahuan setelah intervensi.

Abstract

Chronic diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) which is a disease with a fairly high incidence rate and is one of the causes of death in the world. World Health Organization (WHO) data in 2021 revealed that TB is the 13th cause of death and the second infectious killer after Covid-19. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of health education on the level of public knowledge about tuberculosis in the Ledo District Health Center Work Area. This research method uses a quasi-experiment with a one group pretest-posttest design, without a comparison group (control) which was carried out on a population of 1323 people with a sample of 93 people selected using a random sampling technique conducted in September-December 2023. The results of this study found that most respondents were on average <39 years old (51.6%), female (73.1%) with high school education (41.9%). Researchers found that before the education was conducted, they had quite good knowledge (51.6%) and after the education, knowledge increased to good (55.9%), with a p value = 0.000. The conclusion of this study is that there is an influence of health education on the level of public knowledge about tuberculosis. Therefore, it is expected that through education with leaflet media and lecture methods, the level of public knowledge about pulmonary tuberculosis will increase.

Review

This study addresses a highly relevant public health issue, pulmonary tuberculosis, by investigating the impact of health education on community knowledge in the Ledo District. The findings, which indicate a statistically significant improvement in knowledge post-intervention (p=0.000), support the premise that targeted educational efforts can enhance public understanding of TB. This work is timely and important, given TB's continued status as a major global health threat and its disproportionate impact on community health. While the study's objective is clear and its focus on a prevalent disease commendable, several methodological aspects warrant further consideration. The quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design, while practical for community-based interventions, inherently limits the ability to definitively attribute observed changes solely to the intervention, as it lacks a control group to account for confounding factors or maturation effects. Furthermore, the abstract's description of knowledge levels ("quite good knowledge (51.6%)" pre-education, "knowledge increased to good (55.9%)" post-education) could benefit from more precise definition of what constitutes "quite good" versus "good" knowledge, perhaps through defined score ranges or a clearer presentation of the *mean change* in knowledge scores. A more detailed account of the specific "leaflet media and lecture methods" (e.g., duration, specific content covered, educator qualifications) would also strengthen the replicability and interpretation of the intervention's efficacy. Despite these points, the study offers valuable preliminary evidence for the positive role of health education in increasing public knowledge about TB. For future research, incorporating a robust control group would significantly enhance the internal validity and generalizability of the findings, allowing for stronger causal inferences. Additionally, exploring the long-term retention of this increased knowledge and its eventual translation into improved health behaviors and outcomes (e.g., adherence to screening, treatment-seeking) would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the intervention's broader impact. The authors' recommendation for continued education through similar modalities is well-supported by their findings, highlighting the persistent need for community-level health promotion efforts against TB.

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