Key words: Influenza A H1N1, adult,
epidemics, infectious diseases, outbreak, and strain of swine flu.
Abstract:
Title: A study to
assess the awareness regarding influenza A (H1N1) among adults at selected
community in Rishikesh, Uttarakant” objectives:
To assess the awareness regarding influenza A(H1N1) among adults at selected
community in Rishikesh, Uttarakant”. Method:
The present quantitative cross-sectional,
descriptive study was conducted in the month of April to June 2015 among the adult population those who visit
to AIIMS OPD, Rishikesh., A total of a 400 (40%) samples was selected based on
non-probability convenient sampling technique and a structured self
administered questioner was prepared to collect the data’s. The subjects selected for the study were contacted
personally during the time period of data collection. A written consent from
each subject was taken and the respondent was counselled to provide correct
information. The information collected was kept strictly confidential and
anonymity was maintained. A descriptive
and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. Result: the result shows that around 327 (81.7%) had no
awareness regarding influenza A H1N1 and 73(18.3%) samples were having awareness
regarding cause, spread, treatment and
prevention of Influenza A (H1NI).
The mean score was 8.5 with the standard
deviation of 3.7. So it was concluded that adult population have no awareness
regarding Influenza A (H1N1).
Introduction:
The Constitution of India makes health in
India the responsibility of state governments,
rather than the central federal government. It makes every state responsible
for "raising the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public
health as among its primary duties" but at
present Indian government faces the challenge of a range
of infectious diseases. Every fifth new tuberculosis case in the
world lives in the Indian subcontinent according to the Deutsche
Lepra-und-Tuberkulosehilfe. Japanese Encephalitis is present in many
areas of India and has caused serious epidemics in recent years.
India has been less severely affected by the HIV epidemic than many
other countries, despite early predictions of disaster, but still has almost
three million people living with the virus. Bacterial resistance is a
growing threat because of the widespread misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotic. The outbreak of swine flu that
claimed more than 1500 lives in February of 2015 may have been the result of a new mutated strain, according to the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The H1N1 virus has begun to cause concern in India
this year. Since Jan. 1, 2015, In Dec. 2014, positive cases of swine flu were
first reported. Currently, more than 10 other states in India have reported
H1N1 infections with a few deaths. Because India has such a dense population
and since H1N1 can be spread through the air via droplets, the Indian Health
Ministry has asked their state officials to ensure sanitation and hygiene in
all public places and to bring about awareness to people about the symptoms of
swine flu. The concern is that rising numbers of swine flu infections may be
the beginning of another H1N1 epidemic, although the current strain may not be
as deadly as the 2009 H1N1 strain.
On April 6th Critics of India's
response to the 2014-2015 swine flu outbreak suggest that besides a prolonged
winter, a combination of inadequate testing facilities, inadequate Tamiflu
availability, and lack of private hospitals' cooperation with local governments
were reasons that swine flu was not effectively contained in India. The number
of deaths recorded is 2,123 while the number of infected individuals is
reported to be 34,656, according to the Health Ministry. The purpose of the
study is to assess the awareness of the adult population about cause spread,
treatment and prevention of swine Flu.
A new strain of swine flu,
(H3N2) virus was detected in 2011; it has not affected any large numbers of
people in the current flu season. However, another antigenically distinct virus
with the same H and N components (termed H3N2 (note no "v") has
caused flu in humans; viral antigens were incorporated into the 2013-2014
seasonal flu shots and nasal spray vaccines.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring
cases of swine flu globally to see whether this virus develops into a pandemic.
Because it’s a new virus, no one will have immunity to it and everyone could be
at risk of catching it. This includes healthy adults as well as older people,
young children and those with existing medical conditions. Tamiflu
(Oseltamivir) and Ralenza (Zanamivir) can treat the H1N1 swine flu strain still
which is not danger if we take some protect against it such as a wear three
layer mask on nose, wash the hands after coming home, not involve at place
where big crowd attended.
Title:
-
“A descriptive study to assess the awareness
regarding influenza A (H1N1) among adults at selected community in Rishikesh,
Uttarakant”
Objective
of the study:
-
To assess the awareness regarding influenza
A(H1N1) among adults at selected community in Rishikesh, Uttarakant”
Method:
The present quantitative
cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in the month of April to June 2015 among the adult population those who visit
to AIIMS OPD, Rishikesh. Total estimated
out patient’s is 1000 per day as per information from the hospital
Administrative office, A total of a 400
(40%) samples was selected based on non-probability convenient sampling
technique and a structured self administered questioner was prepared to collect
the data’s, the questioner includes 10 demographic data’s and 24 multiple
choice questions which included cause, spread, treatment and prevention of
Influenza A (H1NI). The subjects selected
for the study were contacted personally during the time period of data
collection. A written consent from each subject was taken and the respondent
was counselled to provide correct information. The information collected was
kept strictly confidential and anonymity was maintained. A descriptive and inferential statistics was used to
analyse the data.
Result:
The frequency and percentage distribution of the demographic
variables of this current study was as follows
Table-1
S.No
|
Demographic variables
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
1.
|
Age
a) <25 yrs
b) 26-35 yrs
c) 36-45 yrs
d) 46-55 yrs
e) >55 yrs
|
79
122
76
63
60
|
19.8
30.5
19
15.7
15
|
2
|
Sex:
a) Male
b) Female
|
172
228
|
43
57
|
3
|
Place
of living
a) Rural area
b) Urban area
c) Semi urban
|
239
98
63
|
59.8
24.5
15.7
|
4
|
Educational
status:
a) Primary
b) Secondary
c) Higher secondary
d) Degree
e) Others
|
43
178
104
49
26
|
10.8
44.5
26
12.2
6.5
|
5
|
Occupation
a) Health care professionals
b) Teaching profession
c) Daily Labour
d) Unemployed
e) Others
|
84
63
89
63
101
|
21
15.7
22.2
15.8
25.3
|
6
|
Types
of family:
a) Joint family
b) Nuclear family
c) Others
|
265
96
39
|
66.2
24
9.8
|
7
|
Economic
status:
a) Low class
b) Middle class
c) Upper middle class
d) Upper class
|
56
239
69
36
|
14
59.8
17.2
9.0
|
8
|
Sources
of health information:
a) News papers
b) TV
c) Internet
d) Friends and neighbours
e) Others
|
79
136
85
35
65
|
19.8
34
21.2
8.8
16.2
|
9
|
Previously
affected with influenza A (H1N1):
a) Yes
b) No
|
34
366
|
8.5
91.5
|
10
|
Presently
affected with influenza A (H1N1):
a) Yes
b) No
|
11
389
|
2.8
97.2
|
From the table-1 it was found that 19.8%
of sample was aged below 25 years. 30.5% samples were aged between 26-35years, 19% samples were aged between
36-45 years, 15.7% samples were aged between 46-55 years And only 15% were aged
above >55 years.
Around 43% of samples were male population and
57% samples are females.
Table-1 also describes the place of living of
samples, that is around 59.8% sample
were live in rural area, and 24.5% samples are living in urban area, were as
only 15.7 % were lining is semi urban area.
From the descriptive statistics it also found
that 10.8% had primary education, 44.5% samples had secondary education, 26%
has completed higher secondary education, only 12.2% samples had degree, and
6.5% samples had other forms of education.
The occupational status of the samples
shows that 21% sample were health care professionals, 15.7% samples were
teaching professionalism, 22.2% samples were daily labour, samples with
unemployment also equal to samples of teaching professionals and 25.3% samples
were doing some other kind of job.
As concern with the type of family, majority were live
as joint family (66.2%), only 24% were living as nuclear family, remaining samples
(9.8%) were living as other types of family.
More than half of the samples (59.8) were middle class, 14%
samples were from low class, around 17.2% samples were from upper middle class,
and only 9.0% samples were belongs to upper class.
As long
as the we concern about the sources of
health information, 34% of samples received information about influenza(H1N1)
from TV, 19.8% from newspaper, 21.2% from internet, only 8.8% samples received information from
Friends and neighbours, 16.2% samples
received information from some other sources.
Figure
-1: Previously affected with influenza A
Figure
-2: Presently affected with influenza A
It
inferential statistics shows that around 327 (81.7%) had no awareness regarding
influenza A H1N1 and 73(18.3%) samples were having awareness regarding cause, spread, treatment and prevention of Influenza A
(H1NI). The mean score was 8.5 with the standard deviation of 3.7. So it was
concluded that adult population have no awareness regarding Influenza A
(H1N1).
Figure-3:
awareness regarding influenza A (H1N1)
Discussion:
Influenza
A viruses causes recurrent outbreaks at the local or global scale, with
potentially severe consequences for human health and the global economy. Swine
influenza virus infections in humans have been reported in the United States,
Canada, Europe and Asia. There are no unique clinical features that distinguish
swine influenza in humans from typical influenza. Although a number of the case
patients have predisposing immunocompromising conditions, healthy persons are
also clearly at risk for illness and death from swine influenza. Sporadic cases
of swine influenza in humans, combined with seroepidemiological studies
demonstrating increased risk of swine influenza in occupationally exposed
workers, highlight the crucial role that this group may play in the development
of new strains of influenza virus. Persons who work with swine should be
considered for sentinel influenza surveillance, and may be an important group
to include in pandemic planning.
Rubin et al. conducted a study
among the general population to assess whether perceptions of the swine flu
outbreak predicted changes in behaviour among members of the public in England,
Scotland and Wales. Here, it had been seen that 37.8% of the participants (n=377)
reported performing any recommended behaviour change over the past 4 days
because of swine flu.
A
cross-sectional (descriptive) study was conducted in, 2009 among the doctors
and nurses working at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital associated to UCMS, Delhi. To
study the knowledge and practices regarding swine flu and to study the
attitudes and practices of health care providers toward the prevention of the
swine flu epidemic. Around 75% of the
health care providers were aware about the symptoms of swine flu. Mostly, all
study subjects were aware that it is transmitted through droplet infection.
Correct knowledge of the incubation period of swine flu was known to 80% of the
doctors and 69% of the nurses. Knowledge about high-risk groups (contacts, travellers,
health care providers) was observed among 88% of the doctors and 78.8% of the
nurses. Practice of wearing mask during duty hours was observed among 82.6% of
doctors and 85% of nurses, whereas of the total study population, only 40% were
correctly using mask during duty hours. Behaviour modification is an
important preventive strategy to contain the spread of H1N1 infection was
demonstrated by a majority of the health care providers. Statistically
significant differences were observed among doctors and nurses regarding
knowledge of mode of spread of infection, PPEs, medicine for swine flu
treatment and availability of vaccine (P < 0.001).
In
the present study, 81.7 % samples had no awareness and 18.3 % samples were awareness regarding
influenza A (H1N1).
Conclusion: significant gaps observed
among adult population regarding swine flu need to
be filled by appropriate awareness programmes. Data indicates that samples were
having inadequate knowledge and poor awareness.
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R, et al. Investigation of the first cases of human-to-human infection with the
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