Pre-experimental evaluation of an educational program on knowledge and perceptionsregarding preventive measures for pulmonary tuberculosis among security personnel

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate changes in knowledge levels and perceptions regarding pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) preventive measures among security personnel at the Huancas-Chachapoyas Penitentiary Center following the implementation of an educational program in 2024. The Study: A quantitative pre-experimental study using a single-group pre-test/post-test design. Sixtynine officers participated via convenience sampling; the intervention consisted of eight sessions. A knowledge questionnaire (KR-20 = 0.88) and a perception/attitude scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.85) were used. Changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test after confirming non-normality via the Shapiro-Wilk test. Findings: The median knowledge score increased from 29.0 points in the pre-test to 44.0 in the post-test (Z = -7.226; p < 0.001), with a large effect size (|r| = 0.86). The proportion of participants with a high level of knowledge rose from 17.4% to 89.9%. Conclusion: The educational program significantly increased knowledge and the perceived usefulness of TB preventive measures.