INTRODUCTION:

Healthy childhood is the foundation for a healthy adult life. The maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through the combination of physical, mental, and social well-being. This is essential for the proper growth and development of children’s mind and body. Children are the vulnerable group for acquiring infections, due to their low resistance power.

Respiratory infections (excluding TB) account for more than 6% of the global burden of human disease, causing more morbidity and mortality than all cancers. Poverty is associated with a more than 20-fold increase in the relative burden of lung infections, which disproportionately affect the young and old. About 20% of all deaths of children between age group 9 and 15 years. In some developing countries, as for example Southern India, 50% of infants have been colonized by S pneumonia by 2 months of age and 80% are carriers by the age of 6 months.

Dental caries is the most common oral disease in children despite being potentially preventable, and may require expensive treatment when the disease has progressed to a more advanced stage. Children and adolescents with disabilities appear to have poorer oral health than their non- disabled counterparts; number of studies has shown that challenges to oral health are more complex for disabled children who are often unable to adequately apply the techniques necessary to control plaque.

Respiratory tract infections and dental caries are the common present problems among visually impaired children. Due to poor parental education and poor care, these children were not aware of environmental hazards. So the researcher would like to investigate the common health problems among visually impaired and provide Audio drama based interventions to guide for healthy life style.

OBJECTIVES:

· To assess the factors related to selected health problems among visually impaired children.

· To assess the effectiveness of audio drama on life style modifications and knowledge and practice of selected health problems after intervention.

· To associate the selected demographic variables with pre test knowledge and practice score of visually impaired children.

· To correlate the pretest knowledge and practice among visually impaired children.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Research approach:

A descriptive and experimental approach was used to assess the factors related to selected health problems(Respiratory tract infection and Dental caries).

Research Design:

One group pre-test and post test experimental design was used for the study

Setting of the study:

Schools of both higher secondary and elementary where the blind children were studying in Coimbatore were selected for the study.

Population:

The target population for this study was the visually impaired children studying in Coimbatore district.

Sampling Technique:

Non-probability Convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample

Sampling Size:

Sample consists of 30 visually impaired children.

Inclusion criteria

Visually impaired children in the age group of 6 years to 15 years.

· Visually impaired children who have health related problems(respiratory tract infections and dental caries)

· Visually impaired who have poor health status.

· Visually impaired with normal hearing aquity.

Exclusion criteria:

· Visually impaired with partial vision loss

· Visually impaired children who are not cooperative.

· Visually impaired and deaf children

· Visually impaired and mentally retarded children.

Description of tool:

The tools used for the study consists of 6 sections. The technique used for data collection was interview method.

The tool for data collection consists of

Section A- Demographic Data.

It comprised of 7 items seeking information on Age of the child, Sex of the child, Education of the child, Education background of the Father and Mother, Place of residence, Previous knowledge about respiratory infection and dental caries .

Section B -Factors to assess the selected Health problems.

Totally there were 19 questions to assess the factors related to selected health problems. There were 9 questions to assess the factors related to respiratory tract infection and 10 questions to assess the factors related to dental caries.

Section C -Knowledge on respiratory tract infection.

There were totally 5 aspects such as General information, causes, transmission, signs and prevention with 15 items. The total score was 15.

Section D - Healthy practice on respiratory tract infection

There were totally 12 items to assess the healthy practice on respiratory tract infection. . The total score was 12.

Section E - Knowledge on Dental Caries

There were totally 6 aspects such as General information, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention and Complication with 22 items. The total score was 22.

Section F -Hygienic practice related to Dental caries

There were totally 10 items to assess the hygienic practice related to dental caries. The total score was 10.

Procedure for data collection:

Data analysis:

The data were analyzed by using both Descriptive and inferential statistics

Major findings:

Demographic Data:

Age group of the samples ranged from 6- 19 years. Half of the samples 15 (50%) were in the age group of 6-9 years and had education up to primary school. Most of the children 19(63.3%) were girls. Majority of the children’s father 27(90%) and mother 22(73.3%) had secondary education. More than half of samples 16(53.3%) were residing in hostel and rest residing in home. All the samples 30(100%) had known about respiratory infection. More than half of the samples 16 (53.3%) got information about Respiratory infection from teachers. Majority of the samples 29 (96.7%) had known about Dental caries and majority 24 (82.7%) got information from teachers.

Factors related to the selected Health problems (Respiratory tract infection and Dental caries):

Factors related to Respiratory tract infection:

Most of the children 20(66.7%) had weight in between 20-30 kgs and height in between 110-139cms. All the children takes food three times a day and had respiratory tract infection because of cold weather and intake of cool food items like ice-cream or cold drinks. Majority of the children 23(76.7%) had the attack of respiratory tract infection3-4 times/month. Only 12(40%) of the children had the family history of dust allergy and only 8(26.7%) of the children had the history of dust allergy.

Factors related to Dental caries:

Majority of the children 21(70%) had dental caries, out of these 18 children had only one teeth affected by dental caries. Majority of the children 21(70%) had tooth sensitivity because of hot/cold drinks, pain while drinking hot and cold drinks, pain while drinking hot and cold drinks and not rinsing mouth after food intake. All the samples 30(100%) were brushing teeth using brush only one time a day and had the presence of coated tongue. Majority 27(90%) had the presence of discoloration of teeth and 26(86.7%) had the presence of halitosis.

Data related to Knowledge on respiratory tract infection:

All the samples 30 (100%) had moderately adequate level of knowledge before intervention. After the intervention most of the samples 18 (60%) had adequate level of knowledge and rest 12 (40%) had moderately adequate knowledge on respiratory infection.

Data related to Healthy Practice on respiratory tract infection:

All the samples 30 (100%) had average level of Practice before intervention. After the intervention Half of the samples 15 (50%) had good and average practice on respiratory infection.

Figure 1: shows the Mean knowledge and practice score of samples according to the Respiratory infection before and after intervention

Statistically there is a significant difference between in the mean knowledge score (t=14.84, df=29, P≤0.05) and mean practice score (t=7.868, df=29, P≤0.05) before and after intervention was accepted

Data related to Knowledge on dental caries:

Majority of the samples 19 (63.3%) had moderately adequate level of knowledge and 11 (36.7%) had inadequate level of knowledge before intervention. After the intervention half of the samples 15 (50%) had adequate knowledge and rest 11(36.7%) had moderately adequate knowledge and rest had inadequate knowledge on dental caries.

Data related to Hygienic Practice on dental caries: Majority of the samples 28 (93.3%) had average level of Practice on dental caries before intervention. After the intervention Half of the samples 14 (46.7%) had good and 15(50%) had average level of Practice on dental caries.

Statistically there is a significant difference between in the mean knowledge score (t=8.672, df=29, P≤0.05) and mean practice score (t=7.443, df=29, P≤0.05) before and after intervention was accepted

Data related to lifestyle modification and its outcome:

The mean outcome score 20.67 on life style modification before intervention of the samples had increased to 40.57 after intervention. It concludes that after intervention, the outcome score was increased compare to before. Statistically there is a significant difference between in the mean outcome score before and after intervention was accepted (t=10.68, df=29, P≤0.05)

CONCLUSIONS:

The study concludes that after intervention, the knowledge and practice on respiratory infection and dental caries was increased compare to before which shows the effectiveness of Audio drama in lifestyle modification and its outcome.

Received on 31.07.2013 Modified on 25.08.2013

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research 1(1): Oct.- Dec., 2013; Page 29-31