Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Focus: Evaluating Public Concerns, Treatment Perceptions, and Awareness in King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

This is supplementary data.Backgroiund: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remains a neglected component of tuberculosis (TB) control in South Africa, despite its potential to progress to active disease and perpetuate transmission. This study assessed public awareness, perceptions of LTBI treatment, and perceived barriers to care in a high-burden rural setting of the Eastern Cape.Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted among adults residing in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality. A structured questionnaire captured participants’ knowledge of LTBI, concern about disease progression, understanding of consequences, and perceived barriers to testing and treatment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of LTBI knowledge and attitude, controlling for demographic variables such as age, gender, and education.Results: Awareness of LTBI differed significantly across age groups (p = 0.0414), peaking among participants aged 20–29 years (52.7%; 95% CI: 44.7–60.7) and declining sharply among those aged 50–59 (15.8%; 95% CI: 5.5–37.6). Belief in the necessity of treatment was strongest among those aged <20 (66.7%) and 20–29 (62.3%; 95% CI: 54.2–69.8; p = 0.0036), but treatment uptake remained low across all age groups, reaching only 14.8% (95% CI: 5.9–32.5; p = 0.0003) among 30–39-year-olds. Although concern about LTBI progression was high (75.1%; 95% CI: 69.3–80.1; p < 0.0001), only 38.3% accurately identified the full consequences of untreated LTBI (p = 0.0012). Lack of awareness emerged as the leading barrier (62.4%; 95% CI: 56.2–68.3; p < 0.0001), followed by fear of side effects (14.7%) and stigma (13.9%). Correlation analysis revealed a weak but significant association between understanding of consequences and reduced informational barriers (r = 0.186; 95% CI: 0.064–0.307; p = 0.0035). Multivariate analysis identified lower educational attainment as a significant independent predictor of poor LTBI knowledge (AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.31–0.88; p = 0.017).Conclusion: Findings reveal a persistent disconnect between awareness, concern, and preventive action regarding LTBI. Despite widespread worry about disease progression, understanding and treatment engagement remain limited. Addressing this behavioral gaprequires targeted community education, stigma reduction, and age- and gender-sensitive health messaging to strengthen LTBI prevention and TB control in rural South Africa.