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Health awareness of high school students

Article in Indian Journal of Community Medicine · January 2007

DOI: 10.4103/0970-0218.36825 · Source: DOAJ

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Sonu Goel Amarjeet Singh

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S hort Article

Health Awareness of High School Students

Sonu Goel, Amarjeet Singh

Introduction provided. The number of possible correct options for

each question varied from 1-5. The students were asked
Students knowledge about management of commonly to tick (√) all possible correct options. A scoring system
occurring injuries and illnesses, particularly in rural areas was devised to quantify the knowledge and practices of

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has been documented to be fragmented, disintegrated the students. A score of ‘one’ was given for each correct

.
option marked by the students. In case wrong options

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and non-sequential.(1) Various wrong practices and myths
associated with illnesses and injuries have also been were chosen, ‘one- fourth’ mark was deducted. The level

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reported among students.(1) Students are usually found of knowledge of the students was categorized as good

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to be enthusiastic for any training program organized for (60% and above), average (33-60%) and poor (less
them in Þrst aid and basic life support system.(1) In view than 33%) on the basis of score obtained by them for

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of this, the present study was conducted to ascertain the different questions.

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awareness of high school students about management
of common illnesses and injuries; estimate the prevalent In addition, group scoring was also done. For this, “total

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wrong practices and beliefs about illness and injuries; possible score” for a particular question was obtained by
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and to assess their knowledge about basic reproductive multiplying total possible correct options of that question
and child health. by the total number of students (i.e., 76). “Group score”
was obtained by adding all the correctly marked options
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Materials and Methods by the students for that particular question. No negative
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marking for group scoring was done.

The study was conducted during November and
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December 2004 in a purposefully selected Boys Senior Results

Secondary School of Þeld practice area of Department
by aila

of Community Medicine, rural health training center, The questionnaire was administered to 76 students of
Naraingarh, Haryana. All the science section students of science section of 9th and 10th class. Eighty percent of
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9th and 10th class were included in the study. The principal students scored more than 50% marks (range 34.5%-
investigator contacted and briefed the principal, teachers 82.8%).
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and students of both the classes about the nature and

purpose of the study. Their consent was also taken. There were 68.5% correct responses (263 out of 380)
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regarding malaria, 41.5% had some knowledge about

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A self-administered structured questionnaire was signs and duration of treatment of leprosy, 18.8% and
designed as per the syllabus of high school and was 46.4% knew about the correct treatment of leprosy
then translated into local language to assess the and tuberculosis respectively, 33.2% could correctly
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knowledge of students about various illnesses, their enumerate food- and water-borne diseases, 74.5% knew
prevention and management, viz., malaria, tuberculosis, about their methods of control [Table 1]. Knowledge about
leprosy, pneumonia, diarrhea and life style diseases like hypertension and diabetes was present in 65.3% and
a

diabetes and hypertension. It also sought information on
immunization, reproductive and child health, registration
of birth and death, management of injuries, dog bite,
snakebite, burns, high fever, worm infestation, epilepsy,
dental caries, drowning and poisoning, etc. For each
question, a mixed set of 4-6 correct options was
Department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh,
India
Correspondence to:
Dr. Amarjeet Singh,
Department of Community Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
E-mail: amarminhas56@rediffmail.com
Received: 28.07.05
Accepted: 16.08.07
58.3% of the students respectively.
Only 23.7% students knew about the correct number
of antenatal checkups recommended to a pregnant
woman. However, majority knew about medications
advised during pregnancy (85.5%) and hygiene during
delivery (81.9%). Only 34.2% students could correctly tell
about the right time of birth and death registration. There
was sufÞcient knowledge about newborn care (85.5%),
methods of oral rehydration solution (ORS) preparation
(78.9%) and etiology of dental caries (85.5%), but
knowledge about worm infestation (52.4%), immunization
(54.6%), pneumonia (40%) was lacking in majority of
the students.

192 Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. 32, No. 3, July 2007

192 CMYK
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Goel S, et al.: Health awareness of high school students

Table 1: Level of knowledge of students regarding communicable and noncommunicable diseases

Disease (No. of possible No. of students who obtained different Group score
correct options =N) grades of score (n=76)
Good Average Poor Total Total %
possible score
score (Nx76) obtained
Malaria
Mosquito control (4) 48 12 16 304 195 64.19
Treatment (1) 68 0 8 76 68 89.47
Tuberculosis
Transmission (3) 55 17 4 228 179 78.5

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Signs (4) 28 30 18 304 232 61.05
Treatment (3) 13 28 35 228 106 46.49

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Leprosy
Signs (4) 15 34 27 304 178 58.55

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Treatment (3) 10 27 39 228 43 18.85
Food and water borne Diseases

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Enumeration (5) 5 36 35 380 126 33.15

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Control (3) 54 14 8 228 170 74.56
Noncommunicable Diseases

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Lifestyle diseases enumeration(4) 7 37 32 304 129 42.43

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Management of hypertension (3) 65 7 4 228 149 65.35
Management of diabetes (2) 58 16 2 152 132 86.84

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Diseases related with obesity (4) 34 22 20 304 144 47.36
Prevention of Goiter (1) 65 0 11 76 65 85.52
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Majority had adequate knowledge about management management of injuries and illnesses to students is a
of injuries (80.9%), skin infections (93.4%) and drowning sound and logical investment. First, it will improve their
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(78.9%). Only 42.8% and 27% students identified health knowledge, which in turn will help them to lead
appropriate management of snakebite and dog bite a healthy life. Second, such empowered students could
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respectively [Table 2]. be effectively used as a change agent in the family and
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community.
Many wrong practices and beliefs were prevalent among
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students regarding various aspects of injuries and In our study, majority of students possessed reasonably
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illnesses. Almost 90% students felt that penicillin was adequate knowledge about mosquito control and
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the treatment of choice for malaria; that tetanus injection treatment of malaria. However, many named penicillin as
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is given during infancy; and that tourniquet should be the drug of choice instead of chloroquine. Other authors
tightened as Þrmly as one could in a case of snakebite. have also reported overall malaria knowledge score to
Majority (78.9%) of students felt that oral rehydration be 77% among students; but simultaneously, existence
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solution could be prepared by mixing one teaspoonful of inappropriate knowledge was also documented
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of ORS powder in one glass of water; that spice/ chilly
should be applied for dog bite management (68.4%)
and that shoe sniffing should be used for epileptic
attack (65.8%). Around half of the students felt that DPT
injection prevented tuberculosis and that mustard oil
should be applied to treat head lice.
Discussion
The concept of teaching basic disease management
skills to the students is not new. In Andhra Pradesh,
students (8-14 years old) were trained under Chinnari
doctors, or little doctors, scheme, to handle minor
health-related emergencies in their villages. They were
given Þrst aid kits and trained to handle emergencies
like burns, accidents and fevers and to even prescribe
basic medicines. Provision of knowledge about correct
– viz., prevention of malaria by taking multivitamins and
chloroquine, causing abortions.(2) Cultural and traditional
beliefs were cited as the most common reasons for major
misconceptions about malaria.(2) It has been observed
in our study that knowledge about mode of transmission
and signs of tuberculosis was adequate among majority
of the students. However, only few students knew about
its correct treatment. Tanimowo et al. also reported that
majority of Zambian senior secondary school students
knew about spread and transmission (through air
droplets and overcrowding) of tuberculosis. The study
also reported that the knowledge of major symptoms
(i.e., persistent fever, cough and loss of weight) and
curability of tuberculosis was also present in over three-
fourths of the students. Around half of the students
wrongly mentioned that diarrhea and constipation are
the major signs of tuberculosis. The study also reported

Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. 32, No. 3, July 2007 193
CMYK193
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Goel S, et al.: Health awareness of high school students

Table 2: Level of knowledge of students regarding management of illness and injuries

Management (No. of possible No. of students who obtained different Group score
correct options =N) grades of score (n=76)
Good Average Poor Total Total %
possible score score obtained
(Nx76)
Burns (2) 39 17 20 152 95 62.5
Head lice (2) 40 19 17 152 99 65.1
Injuries (2) 53 17 6 152 123 80.9
Boils (2) 68 6 2 152 142 93.4
High grade fever (3) 71 3 2 228 173 75.9
Foreign body in throat (1) 67 0 9 76 67 88.2

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Epileptic Þt/attack (2) 51 10 15 152 112 73.7

.
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Snake bite (2) 6 53 17 152 65 42.8
Drug overdose (3) 67 5 4 228 134 58.8

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Drowning (2)_ 50 20 6 152 120 78.9

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of the belief that tuberculosis could be cured by making and urine were used for injury management.

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sacriÞces.(3) It seems that the knowledge about malaria

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and tuberculosis was reasonably adequate among the Our respondents seemed to possess elementary
students as they routinely encountered these illnesses knowledge regarding various communicable and

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in their day-to-day lives. On the other hand, leprosy is
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uncommon in this part of India; therefore, students don’t wise knowledge was assessed, they lacked knowledge
possess much knowledge about its symptoms/ signs about leprosy (signs and treatment) and tuberculosis
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and treatment. Few respondents could enumerate life (treatment). Very few could correctly enlist all the
style diseases or the diseases associated with obesity. food- and water-borne diseases, life style diseases and
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Majority knew about management of diabetes, which is diseases associated with obesity. Regarding newborn
in conformity with other studies. and childhood care, their knowledge about causes of
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infant death, management of pneumonia, immunization

Level of knowledge regarding pregnancy and vital and worm infestation was not adequate. Their awareness
by aila

registration system was poor among the respondents. regarding antenatal care was grossly deÞcient, and
This may be due to the fact that children were not more than half of the students scored poor individual
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concerned about these topics, which are considered score. Very few knew about the time of birth and death
a topic Þt for adults and married people. Awareness registration. Thus, there is a deÞnite need of strengthening
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of newborn care was adequate among students, but the knowledge of the students regarding these issues.
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only half of them knew about causes of infant deaths. “Good score” items need to be strengthened while “poor
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Knowledge about signs of pneumonia and diarrhea was score” items need to be corrected.
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present, but very few were aware of home management

of childhood pneumonia. Majority of the students could References
not tell the correct method of preparation of homemade
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oral rehydration solution (ORS). Nath et al.(4) in a study in 1. School Health Programme. Report of National Workshop.
Bangladesh reported that three-fourths of students had CHEB, DGHS: New Delhi; Nov. 26- Dec 1, 1978.
correct knowledge of management of diarrhea, which 2. Kyawt-Kyawt-Swe, Pearson A. Knowledge, attitudes and
a

was slightly higher than in our study. Though majority of
students could enumerate various vaccines administered
at birth, only few knew about diseases prevented by them.
Various studies have reported that only few students
knew about correct immunization schedule and about
the beneÞts of immunization. Most of our respondents
knew about correct age of marriage, but only one-third
knew about registration of vital events.
Many wrong practices were prevalent among the
respondents – for example, spice/ chilly application for
dog bite, etc. Other studies(5) have also reported that
various items like kerosene oil, mobile oil, mustard oil
practices with regard to malaria control in an endemic rural
area of Myanmar. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
2004;35:53-62.
3. Tanimowo MO. Knowledge, attitudes and practices
regarding tuberculosis among senior secondary school
students. East Afr Med J 1999;76:47-50.
4. Nath SR, Mohsin M, Chowdhury AM. Health knowledge of
children in Bangladesh: An exploratory study. Public Health
1997;111:311-5.
5. Singh AJ, Kaur A. Minor injuries in ninth class school
children of Chandigarh and rural Haryana. Indian Pediatr
1996;33:25-30
Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared.

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