Knowledge and misconceptions of tuberculosis in the general population in Serbia

This study was conducted in Serbia, including Vojvodina and central Serbia, but excluding Kosovo. We aimed to assess the level of knowledge and misconceptions about tuberculosis (TB) in the general population in Serbia. A total of 1,129 inhabitants aged at least 15 years old were interviewed. A combination of telephone and field surveys was used. More than 20% of respondents correctly understood the modes of transmission of TB. However, more than a quarter (28.5%) of respondents had some misconceptions about the possible modes of transmission. Analysis showed that the only significant predictors of a correct understanding of the modes of transmission were the education level and a close personal relationship with a patient with TB. The strongest predictors of misconceptions were older age and an urban type of settlement (odds ratio [OR] 1.5, confidence interval [CI] 1.3–1.6; OR 0.4, CI 0.3–0.6, respectively). A total of 33.9% of respondents could not identify any sign of TB and 86.6% of respondents knew that TB could be treated effectively, but only 20.1% knew that the treatment was free of charge. Our study showed that knowledge about TB is not satisfactory in the general population in Serbia.