Effect of Educational Intervention on the Knowledge and Awareness of Rabies Among College Students in Dehradun City of Uttarakhand State

Abstract

Introduction: Although rabies is highly fatal, with timely and correct postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for animal bite victims, it could be prevented. The young population should be aware of the appropriate rabies management during their formative years so that they put the right practice into play later on.

Objective: The present study was conducted with the objective of assessing the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention in the form of “Rabies Awareness” on knowledge of rabies among college students without control. A total of 1354 college students from 4 colleges situated in Dehradun City, Uttarakhand State, were included in the study that was conducted between January and March 2026.

Methodology: 1354 college students answered a predesigned and pretested questionnaire on various aspects of rabies. This was followed by an awareness session consisting of a PowerPoint presentation and video clips, followed by a question-and-answer session. One month later, 1280 (94.5%) of the same students answered the same questionnaire. The difference between the pre-session and the follow-up answers was analyzed using proportions and McNemar’s test.

Results: The analysis of knowledge regarding rabies revealed that college students’ understanding of rabies significantly increased after participating in the awareness session. Knowledge that animals other than dogs can transmit rabies increased from 20.3% to 41.6%. Knowledge that rabies can be transmitted by scratch increased from 18.3% to 43.9%. As a symptom of rabies, hydrophobia was known to only 20.0% of students, which increased to 82.5% after attending the session. Knowledge regarding treatment of bite wounds through washing with soap & water increased from 55.6% to 92.1%. The knowledge that the vaccination schedule consists of 5 injections increased from 40.8% to 70.9%. This clearly indicated the effectiveness of the awareness session.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0973.5038.202603

How to cite this article:
Hanspal J S, Hanspal R. Effect of Educational Intervention on the Knowledge and Awareness of Rabies Among College Students in Dehradun City of Uttarakhand State. APCRI J. 2026; 28(1): 5-9.