INTRODUCTION:

The percentage of people affected by Non Communicable Diseases is increasing among adults, in both rich and developing countries. The very reason for Non Communicable disease’s are tobacco use, improper diet, hypertension, physical inactivity and obesity. Deaths and morbidity due to Non Communicable Disease’s can be reduced by implementing programs on reducing many risk factors.

According to the World Health Statistics Report 2015 the world wide mortality data of the year 2012, of the 56 million deaths in that year, 38 million (68%) were due to Non Communicable disease’s. Out of the 38 million Non Communicable disease’s of the year 2012 around 75% i.e. 28 million took place before 70 years of age in these countries. Hypertension is also called as high or raised Blood Pressure. It is a state in which the blood vessels have led to high pressure²(Epping, Jordan & Galea, 2005).

³Park (2015) observed that successful prevention of illness depends upon a knowledge of causation, dynamics of transmission, identification of the risk factors and an early detection of risk groups. Healthy lifestyle behaviours refer to those activities people under take to avoid disease. Health promotion is a process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve health. Occupational health is an application of preventive medicine in work place. The national government have recognized the need for protecting the health of the workers. At present, there is no comprehensive occupational health services in India. Indian Council of Medical Research and Indian Association of Occupational Health plays an important role in the promotion of health.

According to the World Health Organization report, hypertension is the most common cardiovascular condition in the world and there are about 600 million people at risk for heart attack, stroke and cardiac failure N¹⁰. Creating awareness is essential about yoga and yoga techniques among hypertensive patients to lead a better quality of life^N1. Technology based education is one element of health information which basically deals with awareness into the patients and related persons. It uses different media for providing information to societies N⁴. Kidney disease is the “new silent killer” requires individuals to cope with a myriad of physical and emotional stressors associated with this chronic illness ^N7. Researchers have recently focused on the potentially lethal side effects associated with Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs^N2.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

The theme formed by ⁶World Hypertension League (2017) for the World Health Days from the year 2005 to 2012 were intended to give high Blood Pressure awareness, maintaining the Blood Pressure in total control and keep healthy Blood Pressure and healthy diet. Blood Pressure should be measured at home. High Blood Pressure and the salt are the two silent killers. The theme of World Heart Day 2009 was “Workplace Wellness”. World Hypertension Day 2017 celebrated on May 17 was to work with a goal of creating high Blood Pressure awareness in people around the world.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

The health crisis for today’s human life is living shorter, dying longer. Adulthood is a complex and changing task. The human life in earlier period is living longer, and dying shorter. The reason for change is poor health, wealth and happiness⁷(Seham et al., 2015)

Modern Information and Communication Technology will fade away the boundaries between inpatient and outpatient care enabling a more efficient, patient-centered health care^N6. Educational workshop, a form of continuing education is much talked method today to keep abreast and provide optimum training^N5. Training to be arranged regularly to update their knowledge levels on home based care^N8. Planned Teaching Programme was effective to gain knowledge regarding diseases and its consequences^N9. Employee knowledge sharing process was effective and further shows a way to improve health^N3.

⁴Charness, Roger and Jahnke (2012) explained that. nowadays high Blood Pressure is the major health problem caused by the lifestyle or the way we live. The reason for 98% of lifestyle diseases is the slow poison use intake every day. They are food additives, food pesticides, animal products and bad cholesterol, salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, smoke, sedentary and stressful life, medication, poor self care etc. Our body needs vegetables, fruits, vitamins, minerals, fibre, unsaturated fat, carbohydrates, fats, water, rest, sleep, exercise, comfort and guidance. National high Blood Pressure education month is conducted annually in May to encourage organizations to take action for hypertension awareness, detection and control by Lifestyle Modification.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

To assess and compare the pre and post-test score on knowledge regarding prevention of hypertension among employees.

HYPOTHESES:

H1: There will be a significant difference between pre and post-test score on knowledge regarding prevention of hypertension among employees.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Research Approach:

Quantitative research approach using pre test and post- test was adopted to accomplish the objectives of the study.

Research Design:

Pre Experimental One group Pre test -Post test design.

Variables:

Dependent variables of this study were knowledge. Independent variable of this study was Intervention Programme on prevention of hypertension. Extraneous variables of this study were mass media, books, health care professionals of selected employees where the existing knowledge which they had obtained

Research Setting:

In this study was conducted from six Cashew nut Processing Industries at Kanyakumari district based on economy of time and expected cooperation.

Population:

The accessible population of the study was all employees who agreed to participate in the selected Cashew nut Processing Industries at Kanyakumari district.

Sample size and attrition:

Sample consist of employees who consented to participate as per sampling technique in selected Cashew nut Processing Industries at Kanyakumari district. The sample size calculation was based on calculation of sample size hand book(2016) table prepared in Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.A total of 120 samples were selected for the intervention part study. In this study, the attrition was 0%, the investigator has an ongoing relationship with the participants. There was no death, illness, geographic relocation during intervention.

Criteria for sample selection:

The employees who were

· Male and female.

· In the age group of 25-55 years.

· Willing to participate in the study.

· Knows Tamil and/or English.

Sampling Technique:

Purposive sampling technique was used

Research Tool:

The following instruments were prepared and used by the investigator based on the objectives of the study. Extensive review of literature, discussion, and views of experts, enhanced the development of the tool

Table 1: Tools and Techniques of Research

S. No.

Tools

Administration technique

Purpose

(1)

Self Reported Questioning Survey

Demographic Variables

Assessment of demographic variables of employees.

(2)

Structured Knowledge Questionnaire

Questioning (self reported)

Assessment of knowledge on

prevention of hypertension.

Self-reported questioning to assess Knowledge by Structured Knowledge Questionnaire

Structured knowledge questionnaire was categorized into five dimensions.

Diamension-1	:	Physical Wellness. It includes a) Human science b) Body checkup c) Diet d) Addiction habits i) Tobacco use ii) Alcohol consumption
Dimension – 2	:	Mental Wellness a) Sleep and physical exercise.
Dimension – 3	:	Social Wellness a) Interpersonal relationships.
Dimension – 4	:	Spiritual Wellness a) Meditation.
Dimension – 5	:	Occupational Wellness a) Physical activity

In responding to the structured knowledge questionnaire the subjects were asked to read the questions carefully and three choices were given for each question. They were asked to select correct answer and writes their option in the box.

Scoring and Interpretation:

This consisted of 60 items regarding prevention of hypertension. It was a multiple choice question, right answer carries one mark and the wrong answer carries zero marks. The maximum attainable score was 60. The level of knowledge score was converted in to percentage and interpreted into

Excellent (Min-Max) : 46-60(76-100%)

Good (Min-Max) : 31-45(51-75%)

Average (Min-Max) : 16-30(26-50%)

Poor (Min-Max) : 0-15(0-25 %)

Description of the Intervention:

Teaching: The teaching is a message with the use of audio visual aids to create awareness and encourage self-care for various aspects to prevent hypertension. Distribution of wellness module which consisted of information, communication and education material regarding the prevention of hypertension Knowledge gain is reflected the following aspects of the employees should be,

· Aware of Physical Wellness of the body regarding human science, body check up, risk factors for heart diseases at the stage of adult, importance of measurement of Blood Pressure, , basic facts about healthy food habits, physical exercises and its importance,diet, addiction habits such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

· Understand the Mental Wellness by important of sleep, exercise and positive stress management.

· encourage the Social Wellness by making interpersonal relationship and maintain healthy communication.

· Appreciate the Spiritual Wellness by doing meditation in motion with breathing exercises.

· Know about the Occupational Wellness for increasing physical activity

Teaching procedure was repeated in all participants from the selected industries in the same manner.

Content Validity:

Based on experts suggestion tool was refined. As per the advice of the experts Structured Knowledge Questionnaire was categorized in to five dimensions. In Physical Wellness which includes human science, body checkup, diet, addiction habits such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption. The other dimensions such as Mental Wellness, Social Wellness, Spiritual Wellness and Occupational Wellness were included. One expert suggested that Intervention Programme contained too much of information and it would be difficult to educate the employees with in the prescribed time, so the Intervention Programme on prevention of hypertension was concised

Reliability of the Tool:

The reliability of the tool was done

r = 0.81 for the structured knowledge questionnaire by using test and retest method.

Ethical consideration:

Employees have the rights to withdraw the information and was enforced before data collection. Investigator’s contact information was disseminated to all employees who have participated in the study.

Method of Data Collection Procedure:

Pre test was done for the selected participants which included gathering of information on the demographic data, structured knowledge questionnaire before the Intervention Programme. The data was collected by using self reported questionnaire method. Data were collected during non- working hours. The post test was done for the knowledge during the seventh week using the same tool after Intervention Programme.

Plan for data analysis:

Frequency percentage distribution, mean and standard deviation was used to assess the knowledge and Paired ‘t’ test was used to compare the knowledge regarding prevention of hypertension

RESULTS:

On comparison of outcome variables

Assessing and Comparing the Pre test and Post -test scores on Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Hypertension among Employees

Figure No.1: Frequency polygon graph on knowledge level

Frequency polygon graph representing among 120 sample subjects, the frequency score in employees had average knowledge, 30 had good knowledge and 28 had poor knowledge and no one had excellent knowledge. The results of the post-test shows that 58 of the employees had good knowledge 48 had average knowledge and 14 had excellent and no one had poor knowledge regarding the prevention of hypertension

Table shows the reveals that the overall knowledge of employees, mean difference between the pre test and post-test knowledge score was 8.04. There was more gain in mean difference in the knowledge of sample subjects in post-test than in pre test. The difference between the pre test and the post-test knowledge score was high in paired t test (11.69) than the table value t (118) ≥3.37, p > 0.001. This shows there is a significant difference between the pre test and post-test knowledge score at 0.1% level.

DISCUSSION:

The above findings were supported by the studies of ⁵Ujwala Ramachandra, Avinash and Salunkhi (2014) assessed the effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme regarding hypertension and its prevention strategies in terms of knowledge in selected rural population at Karve. Stratified Random Sampling Technique used to select for 30 samples. Structured knowledge questionnaire was used to collect data. The pre test result showed none of the participants having good knowledge, 23 (76.66%) having average knowledge, remaining 7(23.33%) having poor knowledge regarding the prevention of hypertension, where as in post-test majority of rural population of selected hypertensive client 23(76.66%) had average knowledge, 3 (10%) had poor knowledge and 4(13.33%) had good knowledge score. The study suggested that to maintain overall physical wellness, individual should take well balanced diet with physical fitness exercises such as Tai Chi, meditation and good sleep for eight hours. It reduces stress, heart rate and improves spiritual awareness. Stress management awareness helps to increase awareness regarding management of stress, signs and symptoms and impact on health.

Present study findings also supported by the literature of Osterberg and Blasche¹ (2013) states employer can conduct awareness screening, by holding health camps, risk screening camps and other activities at work places. Apart from creating healthy work environments these promote physical activity and healthy eating. The periodical health camps for improving awareness screening is necessary at all workplaces. The study was conducted on prevention of stress complaints of 93 employees in frequent computer users in selected industries in Netherlands by use of self reported stress complaints and muscular activity in neck, shoulder region. Nordic Walking, Bio Feed Back Assisted Relaxation and Stretching and Balance Exercises Training was given. The outcome showed Nordic Walking and Bio Feed Back Interventions were successful in reducing the complaints in a short term.

CONCLUSION:

The present study concluded that Intervention Programme regarding prevention of hypertension making awareness and modifying lifestyle. It helps the participants as a substituting factors for preventing heart diseases. The study helps to determine the need for continuing education programme in the industry.

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Received on 17.01.2019 Modified on 21.03.2019

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research. 2019; 7(4):458-462.

DOI: 10.5958/2454-2660.2019.00102.9