A Comparative study to assess the knowledge on Covid-19 and ill effects on the health and prevention among the residence of Bangalore South with a view to develop an Informational pamphlet

 

Laishram Dabashini Devi

Global College of Nursing, Ideal Homes Township, Mysore Rd, Aditya Layout, RR Nagar,

Bengaluru, Karnataka – 560098.

 

ABSTRACT:

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The study was conducted to compare the knowledge level among community with an aim to know the awareness about covid, its ill effects and the preventive aspects. A research design adopted was comparative design. The target population for the study were selected from PHC Bengaluru by convenient sampling technique. The sample under the study were residents (male and female) of both rural and urban south zone. The data was collected by structured questionnaire schedule which was designed to assess the knowledge of residents regarding availability and utilization of health care services. The result was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The respondents mean knowledge score shown that 18.3% of the respondents had inadequate knowledge, 78.3% of the respondents had moderate knowledge and 3.3% of respondents had adequate knowledge regarding Covid-19 and its ill effects on health and prevention. The overall findings of the study clearly showed that the residents had moderate knowledge score (78.3%). The study conclusion revealed that, if the residents were provided with some sort of educational interventions such as information booklets, on availability and utilization of health care services will definitely brief up their knowledge, which in turn contributes to improve the total quality of one's health.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase morbidity and mortality over a wide geographic area and cause significant economic, social, and political disruption. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of pandemics has increased over the past century because of increased global travel and integration, urbanization, changes in land use, and greater exploitation of the natural environment (Jones and others 2008; Morse 1995).¹

 

 

These trends likely will continue and will intensify. Significant policy attention has focused on the need to identify and limit emerging outbreaks that might lead to pandemics and to expand and sustain investment to build preparedness and health capacity (Smolinsky, Hamburg, and Lederberg 2003).² Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV1.³ On December 31, 2019, China informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology detected in Wuhan city, Hubei province of China. From December 31, 2019 to January 3, 2020, a total of 44 patients with pneumonia of unknown aetiology were reported to the WHO by the national authorities in China.³ During this period, the causal agent was not identified. The cases initially identified had a history of exposure to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The most common clinical features of the early clinical cases from Wuhan, China, were fever (98.6%), fatigue (69.6%) and dry cough (59.4%)⁴. The second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in the People's Republic of China on January 30, 2020, declared COVID-19 outbreak as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)⁵. As on February 17, 2020, except China, 25 other countries have been affected by COVID-19 outbreak with 70,635 confirmed cases and 1,772 deaths in China. Outside China, 794 cases were reported with three deaths. The first cases of COVID-19 in India were reported on 30 January 2020 in three towns of Kerala, among three Indian medical students who had returned from Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic. Lockdowns were announced in Kerala on 23 March, and in the rest of the country on 25 March. On 10 June, India's recoveries exceeded active cases for the first time. Infection rates started to drop in September, along with the number of new and active cases. Daily cases peaked mid-September with over 90,000 cases reported per-day, dropping to below 15,000 in January 2021.⁴ A second wave beginning in March 2021 was much more devastating than the first, with shortages of vaccines, hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and other medical supplies in parts of the country. By late April, India led the world in new and active cases. On 30 April 2021, it became the first country to report over 400,000 new cases in a 24-hour period. Experts stated that the virus may reach an endemic stage in India rather than completely disappear; in late August 2021, Soumya Swaminathan said India may be in some stage of endemicity where the country learns to live with the virus.⁵

 

OBJECTIVES:

1.   To assess the knowledge on covid-19 and ill effects on health and prevention among the residence of Bangalore south.

2.   To compare the knowledge among the residence.

3.   To develop an informational pamphlet regarding Covid 19 and ill effects on health and prevention.

 

ASSUMPTION:

a.   Rural residents may have some knowledge regarding availability and utilization of health care services.

b.   Knowledge of residents may have relationship with selected socio demographic variables.

 

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

1.   It is limited to the residents who are willing to participate in the study

2.   It is limited to residents who are in the age group above 20 years

3.   The study is further limited to only those residents who are residing in the K. Gollahalli PHC area and Bangarappanagar PHC.

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A comparative study design was adopted. The study subject were selected from K.Gollahally (rural) area, Banagalore south and Bangarappanagar (urban)area, Bangalore. A sample were collected from male and female age group 12-80 ages residing at both Bangarappanagar and K.Gollahally area. The sample size comprises of 1,345 people in Bangarappanagar and 1,000 people in K.Gollahally area. Sample drawn from urban and rural residence using convenient sampling technique. The data was collected by structured questionnaire schedule. Data was analyse and interpreted by applying statistical methods. The residence willingly participated in the study. The study was based on Health Promotion Model. It provides a comprehensive systematic framework to assess knowledge of residence regarding availability and utilization of health care services.

 

RESULTS:

 

Table – 1: Bengaluru Urban-Rural Covid Cases according to Age Group.

Category	Covid Cases
	Bengaluru Urban	Bengaluru Rural
0-5	25650	1562
5-10	40420	2505
10-20	80251	3132
20-30	291254	14620
30-40	292625	14067
40-50	230967	12768
50-60	150349	7001
60+	140993	6214

 

Table 1 gives description of Covid Cases according to age group in Urban and Rural areas. It has been observed that there is a significant number of increase of cases among age group 20-50. Further, it has been seen that Covid cases is higher in Urban areas when compared to Rural areas.

 

Table - 2: Bengaluru Urban-Rural Covid Cases according to Gender.

Category	Covid Cases
	Bengaluru Urban	Bengaluru Rural
Male	58.8 %	55.6 %
Female	41.2 %	45.4 %

 

Table 2 demonstrates that the number is higher by significant margin of male when compared to female both in Urban and Rural areas.

 

 

Table – 3: Bengaluru Urban-Rural Covid Cases according to Family Type.

Category	Covid Cases
	Bengaluru Urban	Bengaluru Rural
Nuclear	39.2 %	24 %
Joint	58.8 %	74.5 %
Extend	2 %	1.5 %

 

Table – 3 shows classification of Covid cases percentage by type of family. It has been observed that Joint family falls among the higher number of covid cases when compared to Nuclear and Extend family type. Thus, we can say that covid infection rate is higher among joint family.

 

Table – 4: Bengaluru Urban-Rural Covid Cases according to Covid Protocol Knowledge.

Category	Covid Cases
	Bengaluru Urban	Bengaluru Rural
Knowledge Awareness per 100 people	75	39

 

Table – 4 demonstrates the survey result of the knowledge among people in Urban areas compared to Rural areas. It has been seen that residents in Urban areas possess more knowledge and aware about the Covid protocols when compared to Rural areas.

 

DISCUSSION:

People living in rural areas tend to have shorter lives and higher level of illness and disease risk factors than those in major cities. It is also true that, on average, people living in rural are do not always have the same opportunities for good health as those living in major cities. The rural people are facing more problems. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is profoundly affecting life around the globe. Isolation, contact restrictions and economic shutdown impose a complete change to the psychosocial environment in affected countries. These measures have the potential to threaten the mental health of children and adolescents significantly. Even though the current crisis can bring with it opportunities for personal growth and family cohesion, disadvantages may outweigh these benefits. Anxiety, lack of peer contact and reduced opportunities for stress regulation are main concerns. Another main threat is an increased risk for parental mental illness, domestic violence and child maltreatment. Especially for children and adolescents with special needs or disadvantages, such as disabilities, trauma experiences, already existing mental health problems, migrant background and low socioeconomic status, this may be a particularly challenging time. To maintain regular and emergency child and adolescent psychiatric treatment during the pandemic is a major challenge but is necessary for limiting long-term consequences for the mental health of children and adolescents. Urgent research questions comprise understanding the mental health effects of social distancing and economic pressure, identifying risk and resilience factors, and preventing long-term consequences, including—but not restricted to—child maltreatment. The efficacy of tele psychiatry is another highly relevant issue is to evaluate the efficacy of telehealth and perfect its applications to child and adolescent psychiatry.

 

CONCLUSION:

The focus of this study was to assess the knowledge on availability and utilization of health care services among urban and rural residence of Bengaluru with a view to develop information booklet.

 

REFERENCES:

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2.      Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[internet] Primary health care, 2000, [cited 2012 nov 22], available from en wikipedia.org/wiki/

3.      Health and Population [home page on internet] Somnath Roy and B.B.L. Sharma community participation in primary health care 1986 available from [cited 2012 nov 221], nihfw.org/Publications/material/J189.pdf

4.      Olsen ØE, Ndeki S, Norheim of. Availability, distribution and use of emergency obstetric care in hariyana Health Policy Plan [serial online] 2005 May[ cited on 2012 Nov 20]: 167-75 Available from URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.com

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Received on 02.08.2022         Modified on 07.09.2022

Accepted on 10.10.2022        ©A&V Publications All right reserved