By: Dayananda C and Rajrani
Background and objectives: Dengue, commonly referred to as break-bone fever, is a viral infection spread to humans by mosquitoes, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. Although many people infected with dengue may show no symptoms, those who do typically exhibit symptoms such as high fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and a rash. In most cases, individuals recover within 1–2 weeks. However, severe cases may necessitate hospital care. Home treatment is often sufficient for most cases of dengue fever. Taking preventive measures, such as wearing clothing covering most of the body, using mosquito nets (preferably treated with insect repellent) during daytime sleep, installing window screens, applying mosquito repellents (containing DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535), and utilizing coils and vaporizers, can help avoid contracting dengue. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design, employing a quantitative evaluative approach, was utilized in this study. A convenient sample of 60 participants was chosen from Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Tumkur. The data collection process included a structured interview schedule with 30 items, and the reliability of the schedule was evaluated. After conducting a pre-test, a structured teaching program was introduced, followed by a post-test administered after a 7-day gap. Data analysis involved the application of descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: The analysis of the data indicated that the average percentage of post-test knowledge scores (77.78%) surpassed the average percentage of pre-test knowledge scores (59.61%). The calculated ‘t’ value (6.59) surpassed the tabulated value (t59=2.02, 0.05), suggesting a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test knowledge scores. Calculated χ 2 values showed significant associations between place of living, educational status of the father, and their post-test knowledge scores. Interpretation and conclusion:The research findings suggest that the implementation of a structured teaching program proved to be a successful approach in enhancing mothers’ knowledge concerning the prevention of dengue fever in children.
Keywords: Dengue fever, effectiveness, knowledge, prevention STP
Citation:
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