ABSTRACT
Background: Road traffic accidents are an emerging global health problem. It is projected that road traffic injuries will move up to the third by the year 2020 among leading causes of the global disease burden.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 248 truck drivers in Dunkuni area Hooghly for a period of 2 years from August 2017 to July 2018. By simple random sampling 248 truck drivers were selected from 641 registered drivers of the two-truck driver’s association. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics committee of AIIH and PH, Kolkata. After getting informed written consent for participation, the pre-designed pre-tested schedule was filled up. Data was analysed using SPSS16 version and bivariate analysis was done. For knowledge score (12 items), each item of positive response was scored as +2 and for negative response +1. Stress among truck drivers was assessed using perceived stress scale.Results: Mean age of the participants was 37 years. 24.2% participants studied up to secondary school and 134 (54%) belonged to class IV. 21.0% had history of alcohol addiction, 80.6% had high stress. Adequate knowledge of traffic sign was observed among 79.8% participants and overall adequate knowledge was found among 135 (54.4%) participants.Conclusions: Regular behavioural change communication sessions and intermittent sessions on safe-driving methods among truckers may prove beneficial in preventing road traffic accidents.
ABSTRACT
Background: Preventable medical emergencies and accidents accounts for a major share of mortality worldwide. First-aid is the provision of initial, on spot management for an illness or injury, meted out by a trained person, who is not an expert, till professional medical assistance is available. School children have often been projected as a potentially promising agent for radically revolutionizing the health scenario of our society, if properly mentored. The aim of study was to assess the changes in knowledge and attitude of adolescent school children towards first-aid management, after appropriate educational intervention.Methods: It was a school based quasi-experimental study conducted among 201 adolescent children. Baseline knowledge and attitude about first-aid management of selected medical emergencies were assessed using pre-designed, pre-tested questionnaire. Then, educational intervention was administered in the form of lectures and demonstrations. Post-interventional evaluation was done using the same questionnaire, after two weeks of intervention. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 16.0.Results: Health professionals (29.2%) and teachers (26.1%) were the primary source of knowledge. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test was carried out to determine effect of intervention on knowledge and attitude scores of the students. There was a statistically significant increase in knowledge (Z=-10.982, p<0.001) with large effect size (r=0.54) and an increase in attitude, though not statistically significant (Z=-1.949, p=0.05) with small effect size (r=0.09).Conclusions: There is a need for a uniform, interactive module including hands on activities and periodic mock drills to be incorporated as a separate entity to encourage participation.