Abstract

STUDY OF IMPACT OF HEALTH EDUCATION ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE RELATED TO DENGUE FEVER

Bhanu Vaishnavi G, Shobha Churi*, Narahari M G, Justin Kurian, Lalremruata B, Esther Laldinpuii and Frency Susan Baby

ABSTRACT

Dengue fever caused by viral pathogen belongs to the family Flaviviridae that infects 80 million people with 30,000 fatality (Dengue hemorrhagic fever) cases in the world yearly. World Health Organization (WHO) ranks dengue, as the most major mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. The objective of the study to measure the influence of education on knowledge, attitude and practice about dengue fever and its association with patients demographic, socio-economic and literacy pattern. This was a prospective, educational interventional study conducted over a period of six months in the medicine unit of JSS Medical College Hospital. Patients enrolled in the study were administered with a validated knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) questionnaire as a pre-assessment (prior to education). Then all the patients were provided education with a pre-designed educational material and re-administering the KAP questionnaire (post-education) and the overall scores were calculated. Pre and post-education KAP scores were compared using paired t-test method. A total of 177 patients were enrolled in the study majority of patients were males (60.4%) compared to females (39.6%). Study results revealed a significant improvement in the mean KAP score from pre (24) to post-education KAP questionnaire score (72.5). KAP score of both pre (27.9) and post (73.8) education was high for females when compared to male participants (Pre-education KAP score-24.11, Post-education KAP score-69.2). Analysis of study also exhibited significant (P <0.05) improvement in the total KAP score of pre-education to post-education for all the participants. The study concludes that pharmacist mediated education has improved the patient‟s knowledge, attitude and practice towards disease and this in turn can lead to better adoption of measurements for prevention of dengue fever.

Keywords: Dengue Fever, Patient Education, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP).