Knowledge,
Attitude and Practice Study of Tribal and Nontribal People of A Slum about Eye
Health Care
Shukla
P., S. K. Shukla and Bansal A.K.
Govt. Medical
College, Jagdalpur (Bastar) 494001.
ABSTRACT:
Background: Recent years have witnessed a change from acute
intervention (cure) typical of clinical ophthalmology to the concept of primary
eye health care, i.e. the inclusion of an eye care component in primary health
care system. Objective: To assesses
the people perception about eye health problems. Material and Methods: 620 (204 Tribal and 416 Non tribal) people
residing in a slum area of Jagdalpur were interviewed and data thus collected
were tabulated and analyzed. Statistical
analysis Expressed in simple: proportion s. Findings: 39.83 % male tribal knew in comparison to their female
32.55 % counterparts about scientific cause of eye problems while among non
tribals less proportion of males in comparison to their female counter parts
scientific cause. Regarding treatment higher proportion of non tribal in comparison
to their counter parts tribal took treatment. Television was the most common
source of information in both the community. Interpretation: The findings of the present study were more or less
similar to the findings of the other studies conducted across the globe by
different authors. Conclusion: The
eye health care programme is still a far cry even after a lapse of so many
years. If such is the crux of situation in an urban dwelling where the medical
and health care services are easily available than what will be the fate of
tribal and rural area.
KEYWORDS: Eye care, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice. Pegs
INTRODUCTION:
Each and every individual have an inherent desire to learn
and awakening of this desire is the need of the hour. This important
responsibility lies with the with Information, Education and Communication
(I.E.C.) By awakening this desire we will be able to make a democratic alliance
between the patients, community and the health care providers, which is a must
for the success of “primary eye health care.” By judging the importance of
I.E.C. for bringing awareness not only in terms of knowledge but also put that
knowledge in to their practices and as very few reports of clinical study
available and in 1957 a study group of World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has
expressed the view that in order to get a comprehensive picture of disease,
more and more studies have to be carried out, Garg Narendra K. (1). This prompted
the authors to undertake this study to assess the knowledge, attitude and
practice of tribal and non tribal people about eye health care which will act
as pegs for hanging new knowledge.
MATERIAL
AND METHODS:
The study was conducted in an urban slum of Jagdalpur
(Bastar) during the National eye donation fortnight (between 25th.
August and 8th September, 2010) to have an idea of people perception
about eye health care programme. A total of 620 adult people were interviewed
and the reply were taken in to a pre designed, pretested questionnaire drawn in
Hindi.
Those people who can read and write, the questionnaire
was explained to them and ask them to fill up and return while those people who
can’t read and write, the questions one by one question were explained to them
and their reply were filled up with the assistance of one of the person who may
be from the community or one of the interviewer. Thus the answers collected
were tabulated and analyzed and inferences were drawn.
FINDINGS:
On analysis of the collected data it has been revealed
that most of the people given multiple answers of many of the questions.(Table
– I ) reveals that 39.83 and 32.55%male and female tribals respectively knew
the scientific cause of the eye problems in comparison to their 37.08 and 53.50 %non tribal male and female
counterparts respectively.49.15 and 70.93 male and female tribal respectively
think that evils eye is the cause of the eye problems while less percentage of
non tribal females in comparison to their male counterparts replied that evil
eyes is one of the cause of eye problem. Table further reveals that more than
half of the tribal males and non tribal females have a view that diet has a
role in eye diseases .Less than 30 % showed their ignorance about the cause of
eye problems.
Table – I: Knowledge about causes of Eye diseases
|
Causes |
Tribal n=204 |
Non Tribal n=416 |
||
|
M |
F |
M |
F |
|
|
118 |
86 |
302 |
114 |
|
|
Pathogenic
Organism |
47 (39.83) |
28 (32.55) |
122 (37.08) |
61 (53.50) |
|
Evil's Eye |
58 (49.15) |
61 (70.93) |
162 (53.64) |
57 (50.00) |
|
God's curse |
67 (56.77) |
51 (59.30) |
104 (34.43) |
56 (49.12) |
|
Diet |
64 (54.23) |
25 (29.06) |
110 (36.42) |
57 (50.00) |
|
Hereditary |
08 (06.77) |
00 (00.00) |
34 (11.25) |
11 (09.64) |
|
Don't Know |
30 (25.42) |
25 (29.06) |
87 (28.80) |
20 (17.54) |
Regarding treatment, majority of tribals believes that
Jhad / Fook and Jaddo; Tona is one of the treatment of eye diseases in
comparision of their non tribal counter parts who preferred treatment for eye
ailments. Less than 30 % in both tribal and non tribal don’t believe either in
taking treatment or in Traditional methods (Table – II).
Table – II: Treatment of Eye Diseases
|
Treatment |
Tribal |
Non Tribal |
||
|
M |
F |
M |
F |
|
|
Treatment By
Doctor |
118 |
86 |
302 |
114 |
|
Aayurvedic |
32 (27.11) |
21 (24.41) |
151 (50.00) |
60 (52.63) |
|
Jhad/ Phook |
60 (50.84) |
54 (62.79) |
102 (33.80) |
32 (28.07) |
|
Jadoo-Tona |
82 (69.49) |
61 (70.93) |
132 (43.70) |
56 (49.12) |
|
Don't Know/self
medication |
30 (25.42) |
21 (24.41) |
83 (27.50) |
34 (29.82) |
(Table – III) shows that Television and Radio was the
most common source of information regarding eye health care programme. In
tribals, peer groups comes the next. while for non tribal ,Health personnel
comes .On further exploration around 20 % of the tribal and non tribal community members of
both sexes explained that they are getting information about health matters
from others sources. Table further revealed that for less than 10 % of the people print media was also a source of
information .It was inter45esting to note that none of the female in tribal
community got knowledge from print media while among non tribal , female has an upper hand in comparison to their male counterparts.
Table – III: Sources of Information Pertaining to Eye
Problem
|
Sources |
Tribal |
Non Tribal |
||
|
M |
F |
M |
F |
|
|
118 |
86 |
302 |
114 |
|
|
T.V. |
71 (60.16) |
56 (65.11) |
266 (88.07) |
56 (49.52) |
|
Radio |
96 (81.35) |
53 (61.62) |
110 (36.42) |
83 (72.80) |
|
Print Media |
06 (05.00) |
00 (00.00) |
30 (09.93) |
13 (11.40) |
|
Poor Groups |
76 (64.40) |
56 (65.11) |
03 (37.41) |
34 (29.82) |
|
Health Persons |
16 (13.55) |
76 (88.37) |
104 (34.43) |
96 (84.21) |
|
Other Sources |
24 (28.81) |
18 (20.93) |
114 (37.74) |
33 (28.94) |
INTERPRETATION:
Bansal A.K. et. al.(2) in their study in 1996 observed
that 53.3 % people believe that various
eye diseases occure due to persons past sins ,God’s curse or Jadoo - Tona and
other 25.4 % have no idea of it. Rich sources of vit.A are known to only 1.9 %
people .76 .1 % have no idea of the provision of Vit. A during immunization.
Only 19.2 %children have received at least one dose of Vit. A against 100.0 %
immunization.61.2 % have heard about eye donation but none of them pledges for.
Breast feeding which promotes the child eye vision is affirmed by mearge 7.9 %
people. 29.0 % favour cataract operation
while rest oppose to it on one reason or the other, the main because of fear of
operation. These findings were more or less similar to the findings of the
present study.
Bhasin S.K. et. al (3) noted in his study that T. V. is
the most important source of information to the people. Bansal A.K. et. al. (4)
reported that T.V. is the leading source of information for both males and
females, while the peer group is the next common source. Bansal et al (4) also
reported that community people also getting information from health providers.
Lal S.(5) in his editorial revealed that 80.4 %
of people reported that their first source of information about health
matters is T.V./Radio again Lal S. et al (6) in his study reported that
overwhelming proportion of (91.85 %) of community members mentioned that first
source of information being T.V. The findings of the present study were more or
less in accordance of the findings of the various studies conducted by
different authors from time to time.
From above findings and interpretations, the authors
reached to the conclusion that a lot of efforts to be made to bring awareness
in the masses about various aspects of eye diseases which is similar to the
view expressed by Bansal A.K. et. al. (9). From above observation and
discussion ,the author reached to the conclusion that by taking in to account
the findings of the present study and other studies conducted across the
country .We must formulate behaviour change communication which is essential to
cater the needs of different section of the society, otherwise the knowledge
and technology provided to us by our great scientists to control eye problems
will all go in vain and the objectives of eye health care programme will remain
simply nothing more than a night mare. Such type of studies must be made an
integral and permanent part of eye health care programme and must be conducted
from time to time to assess the latest educational needs of all sections of
society irrespective of their literacy status, socio economic status, job
responsibilities etc. because everybody needs health education – only the
contents of the massage may differ. The findings of such studies must be taken
in to consideration when planning for I. E. C. is to be formulated and must be
evaluated periodically. The authors
further emphasizes that there is an urgent need to carry out an
intensified I.E.C. for the masses to make aware the community about various
aspects of the Eye Health Care by evolving
a two way activities (i) active case detection (ii) to motivate people
to report themselves to the health centers by generating awareness in the
community. For this authors develop a flow chart (diagram – I), Alfia Fatima
et. al. (7) & Garg Narendra K. et al.(8) which may be helpful in drawing a
plan for I. E. C, the same can be organized in Haat Bazar, School ,Prominent
public places etc, through local media or whichever is suitable for local
community ,this will help in voluntary reporting of cases.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors express their cordial thanks to Mr. Anand
Singh Kanwar, Lab-Technician, Deptt. of Community Medicine, Govt. Medical
College, Jagdalpur (C.G.) for his neat and excellent typing.
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Received on 28.05.2011
Accepted on 15.09.2011
© A&V Publication all right reserved
Research J. Pharmacology and
Pharmacodynamics. 3(5): Sept –Oct. 2011, 289-291