A descriptive study to assess the awareness of communication and social mobilization activities for tuberculosis control among households in rural area of Shivamogga, Karnataka

ABSTRACT

Background: Advocacy, communication, and social mobilization addresses four key challenges such as improving case detection and treatment adherence, reducing stigma and discrimination, empowering tuberculosis (TB) patients, and mobilizing the resources and political commitment required to combat TB. A multipronged approach included activities to disseminate information through information, education, and communication materials, and simultaneously initiating community-based activities by actively involving and sensitizing communities on TB. Objectives: The objectives of this study were as follows (1) To assess the awareness of communication and social mobilization activities among households in rural field practice area of Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, Shivamogga and (2) to know the preferred sources of communication and social mobilization activities among households in rural field practice area of Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, Shivamogga. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among households in rural field practice area of Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, Shivamogga. After taking approval from the Institutional Ethical Committee, data were collected by doing house-to-house visits until all the houses in that particular village were covered. After taking informed consent, every household willing to be a part of the study was subjected to personal interviews using a semi-structured and pre-tested questionnaire, which was initially developed in English, and all the questions were translated into local language Kannada for the target population. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: Of 100 households covered, females (74%) were more compared to males (26%), and among media information sources of TB; unaware (43%), television (TV) (26%), posters in health center (5%), and among community information source of TB; and unaware (34%), health-care provider (36%), and peers (11%). Most of them preferred TV and health-care providers as the priority to disseminate health education. Conclusion: The awareness of communication and social mobilization activities is very poor among rural people, which requires effective use of media information sources such as TV, radio, and digital innovations to convey the information with high priority to community participation in all social mobilization activities.