A Study on Knowledge and Attitude of Housewives toward Health Care and Antibiotics in a Rural Area / 예방의학회지

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted during the period of August 13 to August 18, 1974 to obtain information on knowledge and attitude of the rural area housewife toward health care and antibiotics using. Interviewed 242 housewives dwelling in Soodong and Hwado Myun, Yangju Gun, Kyunggi Do, a typical rural area in Korea and the following results are obtained 1. Of 242 housewives interviewed, 20.2% were illiteracy, 68.2% was graduated from primary school, 9.1% from middle school and 2.5% from high school. 2. Of those interviewed, 8.7% were Christian, 5.0% Bueldist, 2.9% Confucianism, and 83.4% of those were no religious preference. 3. Utility rate according with the kind of mass media in home was 85.1% of respondents possessed radio, 16.1% of magazine, 12.8% of newspaper, and 4.1% of television. 4. In the case of patients occur in a family, 13.0% out of 242 respondents had chosen physician's clinics for initial medical care place, 58.4% drug stores, 0.9% herb medicine and 27.7% of those had chosen folk medicine at home. 5. Antibiotics effective complaints listed by the respondents were skin diseases with 43.8%, suppureated wound 30.0%, URI like symptoms 18.2%, diarrhea 14.5%, low back pain 12.9%, fever 6.2%, loss of appetite 3.3%, all kind of diseases 2.5%, urethral discharge 2.1% and tuberculosis 0.8% respectively. 6. Only 14.7% of respondents had obtained antibiotics for medical care from physician's clinics and 85.3% of the respondents had obtained antibiotics from drug store (70.7%), village shop (10.4%), and salesmen in street market without any physician's prescription. 7. Eight-nine percent of the respondents were understanding on patient care activity as the local health subcenter but only 11.0% of those on M.C.H., 29.0% of those on family planning, 21% on vaccination, and only 6.6% on tuberculosis control activity. 8. Utility rate of the local health subcenter was 71.9% out of the patients indicated medical care of medical facilities.