Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Swine Flu among School Students of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu

  • Aneena Suresh Department of Pharmacy Practice, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4546-9262
  • Sruthi N Department of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Kavitha Krishnan Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Hariharan V Nalam Hospital, Collectors Office Road, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Karthikeyan LV Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Anitha S Department of Pharmaceutics, Karpagam College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, Students, Swine Flu

Abstract

Background: Since 2009 the swine flu pandemic has been prevalent in India and South India have been afflicted with numerous cases. This study was conducted with an objective to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of school students towards swine flu in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu.

Methods: A pre-validated, semi-structured questionnaire was used for collecting data which comprised questions on socio-demographic characteristics (Gender, age, father’s education, residence, father’s occupation, mother’s education, mother’s occupation, and socio-economic status), knowledge (15 questions), attitude (1 question) and practices (5 questions) of students. There were a total of 21 close ended questions with the options of Yes & No. Option of Don’t Know was also added for assessment of Knowledge. The p-value was then estimated for finding the statistical significance in yes/no questions using binomial distribution.

Result: The overall knowledge, attitude and practices were better among females than males (knowledge 77.41% vs 62.94%; attitude 89.29 % vs 84.44%; practices 78.22 % vs 73.41%). The perceived risk of getting swine flu was found to be 53% in females and 47% in males.

Conclusion: Although the students were aware of swine flu, importance of following appropriate practices to prevent swine flu need to be informed.

How to cite this article:
Suresh A, Sruthi N, Krishnan K, Hariharan V, Karthikeyan LV, Anitha S. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Swine Flu among School Students of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. J Commun Dis 2019; 51(4): 41-46.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.201935

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Published
2020-02-24