184 |
AU |
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Geetakrishnan K, Pappu KP & Roychowdhury K |
TI |
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A study on knowledge and attitude towards tuberculosis
in a rural area of West Bengal. |
SO |
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INDIAN J TB 1988, 35, 83-89. |
DT |
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Per |
AB |
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A survey was carried out in the population of Bisnupur
Blocks I and II in the south 24 parganas district of West Bengal
to find out the level of general knowledge and awareness about TB
and also the prevalent social attitudes towards the disease. The
target population was classified into two broad groups comprising
persons living within and outside the research project area respectively.
The results showed that the general knowledge of TB was high in
both groups and about 24% of the new patients did not know the correct
duration of treatment. The majority of people interviewed, favored
hospitalization of the TB patients and the patients' belief that
consuming anti-TB drugs without taking a high protein diet was futile
contributed to default on drug collection. Women with TB denied
breast-milk to their babies, making the babies vulnerable to different
diseases including TB. Health education increased the awareness
of TB while negative social attitudes for TB patients persisted
because most people were not convinced of the curability of the
disease.
The above findings led to the conclusion that community
leaders should be actively involved in any TB control programme
and that health education should be an important component of the
TB programme.
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KEYWORDS: SOCIAL SURVEY; SOCIAL AWARENESS; SOCIAL ATTITUDE;
INDIA. |
186 |
TI |
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Awareness of tuberculosis: Editorial. |
SO |
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INDIAN J TB 1989, 36, 69-70. |
DT |
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Per |
AB |
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The inquiry into people's awareness of TB has largely
followed two schools of thought. The earlier conception about the
awareness of TB was centered on the extent of people's knowledge
about the disease and its characteristics, how the infection spread,
when and where it typically occurred etc. However, several studies
such as the one conducted by the NTI in rural Anantapur district
in the late '50s and which led to the formulation of the DTP, demonstrated
that, in contrast to the hypothesis, knowledge about the main features
of TB was quite high. Other, more recent studies conducted in India
and, studies from S. Korea and Japan, where socio-economic conditions
are very different, obtained similar results.
The second, more recent approach to awareness focussed
on physical suffering caused by the symptoms of TB. This approach
was highlighted by the series of NTI studies beginning with their
seminal 1963 study titled, "A sociological study of awareness
of symptoms among persons with pulmonary TB". Based on the
results, it was suggested that awareness of symptoms and action-taking,
by way of contacting institutions of modern medicine, be used as
parameters for measuring the problem of TB in the community, sociologically
and for TB programme assessment. Further, it was emphasized that
this approach must be pursued vigorously through action research
as it appeared to show great promise in breaking down the barriers
of traditional thinking, prejudices and unhelpful attitudes better
and more quickly.
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KEYWORDS: SOCIAL AWARENESS; SOCIAL ATTITUDE; INDIA. |