A study to assess the Knowledge regarding Tuberculosis among the adults in selected rural areas of, Mysore with a view to develop an information pamphlet

 

Mrs. Nisha P Nair1*, Mr. Vinay Kumar G2, Mr. Mahadevprasad V.S2, Prof. Sheela Williams3

1Assistant  Professor, Community  Health  Nursing Department, JSS College of Nursing, Mysore

2Assistant Lecturer, Community Health Nursing Department, JSS College of Nursing, Mysore

3Principal, JSS College of Nursing, Mysore

*Corresponding Author Email: nisha.deepak7@gamil.com

 

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: In India, Infectious disease is major public health issue .India suffers significant population losses each year from infectious diseases.

Aims and objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge regarding tuberculosis among the adults in selected rural areas of Mysore also to find the association with their selected variables.

Approach and design: In the study, exploratory descriptive approach was used.

Samples and sampling criteria: The knowledge was assessed among 30 adults. The level of knowledge was measured by using structured interview schedule regarding TB. The data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Results of the study revealed that,50% of the adults have good knowledge about TB and  there is no significant association with any variables.

Conclusion: Thus study concludes that the adults should get enough awareness regarding TB. As health professionals it’s the responsibility of us to conduct some awareness programe to improve their level of knowledge in tackling the problem of TB in India

 

KEY WORDS:

 

 


INTRODUCTION:

Infectious disease is major public health issue for both developed and developing countries. India suffers significant population losses each year from infectious diseases. Among infectious diseases, tuberculosis is the single largest killer of young and adult populations in the world1.

 

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide public health problem despite the fact that causative organism was discovered more than 100 years ago and highly effective drugs and vaccines are available making a TB a preventable and curable disease1.

 

Out of the 22 high-burden countries for TB, eleven are situated in Asia, while nine are in Africa. These countries account for approximately 80% of the total cases worldwide. In Asia, India is having high-burden accounts for nearly 20 percent of global burden2.

 

In India during 2010, the estimated prevalence rate for all forms of TB was 283 per 100,000 population. In India, each year nearly 2.2 million people develop TB disease, of which one million are new smear-positive cases and half a million people die from TB. Also in India TB is a disease of the poor. The majority of the victims are migrant labourers, slum dwellers, resident of backward areas, and tribal pockets. Poor living conditions, malnutrition, shanty housing and overcrowding are the main spread of the disease3.

 

Up until now, early case detection and treatment of cases is the only and most effective method of TB control. The current TB control strategy with Directly Observed Treatment; Short course (DOTS) is reported to be successful in terms of treatment success rate. However, passive case detection strategy followed under DOTS may not have achieved the case detection rate of at least 70%. In India, a passive case detection method is followed under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) for TB case-finding. This may be the reason for the delayed presentation of TB patients at healthcare facilities where diagnostic facilities for TB are available3.

 

The TB control programs have recognized the importance of providing information, education and communication (IEC) to improve the knowledge about TB and to influence change in health-care seeking behavior among both TB patients and the general public. In India, though an integral component of RNTCP, IEC activities were minimal and scattered up until 2001. Since 2001, a sustained intensified IEC campaign is being done. Recently, a STOP-TB initiative has adopted the strategy of advocacy, communication and social mobilization to support country TB control programmes3.

 

In India TB is more prevalent among the adults especially in the age group between 15-54 years4. So the researcher interest has geared up towards assess the knowledge about TB and to identify the association between the knowledge about TB with their selected personal variables.

 

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the study are:

1.        To assess the level of knowledge regarding tuberculosis among the adults in selected rural areas of Mysore.

2.        To find the association between level of knowledge regarding tuberculosis among the adults in selected rural areas of Mysore with their selected demographic variables.

 

Hypothesis:

There will be a significant association between the level of knowledge of adults regarding Tuberculosis with their selected demographic variables.

 

METHODOLOGY:

Research Design

The design adopted is exploratory descriptive survey.

 

Settings

The present study was conducted in rural tandavapura  at Mysore district.

 

Sample and sampling technique

By Simple Random Sampling technique 30 urban adults were selected

 

Instruments used

Section 1; Data on demographic variables

It consisted of the following items such as age, sex, religion, educational, occupation, marital status, family background, type of family, Knowledge regarding TB and source of information regarding TB.

 

Section 2: Structured Interview Schedule regarding Tuberculosis.

This section consists of 25 questions regarding meaning, cause, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB


 

RESULTS:

Section 1: Description of selected Personal variables of study subjects:

TABLE 1. Frequency and percentage distribution of adults according to their personal variables           n=30

Sl no

Sample characteristics

Frequency (f)

Percentage (%)

1

Age

a)        20-29yrs

b)        30-39yrs

c)        40-49yrs

d)        50-59yrs

e)        Above 60yrs

 

11

07

00

06

06

 

36.66

23.33

00

20

20

2

Gender

a)        Male

b)        Female

 

22

08

 

73.33

26.66

3

Religion

a)        Hindu

b)        Christian

c)        Muslim

 

28

02

00

 

93.33

06.66

 

4

Educational status

a)        Primary

b)        Middle

c)        High school

d)        PUC and Above

 

08

05

08

09

 

26.66

16.66

26.66

30

 

5

a)       Occupation

a)        Coolie

b)        Farmer/agriculturist

c)        Factory

d)        Business

e)        Other

 

13

02

08

04

03

 

43.33

06.66

26.66

13.33

10

6

Marital status

a)        Married

b)        Unmarried

 

21

09

 

70

30

 

7

Type of Family

a)        Single

b)        Joint

 

20

10

 

66.66

33.33

8

Family background of TB

a)        Yes

b)        No

 

00

30

 

00

100

9

Knowledge regarding TB

a)        Yes

b)        No

 

24

06

 

80

20

10

Source of information

a)        Health persons

b)        Mass media

c)        Through friends

d)        Through parents

e)        No previous knowledge

 

14

08

02

00

06

 

46.66

26.66

06.66

00

20

 

 


Section 2:

a)       Description of level of knowledge of adults regarding Tuberculosis

The total level of knowledge score ranged from 0-25. The level of knowledge scores further arbitrarily divided as poor knowledge (0-8), average knowledge (9-17) and good knowledge (18-25)

 

Table 2. Frequency and percentage distribution of adults according to their level of knowledge              n=30

Level of knowledge

Frequency

Percentage

Poor

08

26.66

Average

15

50.00

Good

07

23.33

 

Table 3. Mean, Median, Range Standard deviation of level of knowledge scores of adults regarding TB.        n=30

 

Mean

Median

Range

SD

Knowledge score

12.1

11

4-22

±5.42

 

Section 3:

Association between the levels of knowledge of adults regarding TB with their selected demographic variables

To find out the association of level of knowledge regarding TB among adolescents with their selected personal variables, Chi square was computed and it was evident that there is no significant association of level of knowledge of adolescents with their selected personal variables

 

CONCLUSION:

The study concludes that even IEC messages should use different ways to reach to most of the people and also health professionals should conduct regular mass health education programmes in their area to bring the changes in the society. Also the health professionals should gear up in spreading the message about the modes of transmission, clinical features and line of treatment of the disease

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The study also recommends that similar study can be conducted with large number of samples and also with the comparison of urban and rural. Also the education activities should gear up on the slum dwellers, migrant labourers and among the tribal.

 

REFERENCE:

1.        Park .K, Textbook of preventive and social medicine. 21st ed. Jabalpur (India): Banarsidas publishers; 2011.

2.        World Health Organisation: Global Tuberculosis Control WHO REPORT 2009. Geneva: World Health Organisation; 2009. OpenURL

3.        Chandrashekhar T Sreeramareddy, H N Harsha Kumar and John T Arokiasamy Prevalence of self-reported tuberculosis, knowledge about tuberculosis transmission and its determinants among adults in India: results from a nation-wide cross-sectional household survey. BMC Infectious Diseases 2013, 13:16

4.        Chakraborty AK: Epidemiology of tuberculosis: current status in India. Indian J Med Res 2004, 120:248-276. 

5.        Chauhan LS: Status report on RNTCP. Indian J Tuberc 2011, 58:38-40. 

6.        Suganthi P, Chadha VK, Ahmed J, Umadevi G, Kumar P, Srivastava R, et al.: Health seeking and knowledge about tuberculosis among persons with pulmonary symptoms and tuberculosis cases in Bangalore slums. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2008, 12:1268-1273. 

 

 

Received on 07.08.2014          Modified on 24.09.2014

Accepted on 08.10.2014          © A&V Publication all right reserved

Asian J. Nur. Edu. and Research 5(1): Jan.-March 2015; Page 15-17

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2996.2015.00004.X