A Study to Assess the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district

 

Mr. Dipak Patidar¹, Dr. Dayalal D. Patidar², Dr. Pragna Dhabi³

¹Lecturer, Department of Community Health Nursing, Ratna Prabha College of Nursing, Vadnagar

²Principal, Joitiba College of Nursing, Bhandu, Mehsana

³Registrar, Gujarat Nursing council Ahmadabad

 

ABSTRACT:

The research study titled “A study to assess the Knowledge Regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district.’’ was based on the objectives, to assess the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district, to find out the association between the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district with their selected demographic variables. A quantitative (Non- Experimental) approach was applied and convenient sampling technique was used to select the sampling. Majority of (56%) people were between the age group of 18-28 years,68% were male, 64% people were from nuclear family, 42% people were graduate, 28% people were unemployed, 72% of people were having family income above Rs15000, and 84% people had diving license. The finding of the study revealed that fewer 16% of people having good knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accident and 32% of people had average knowledge and majority 52% of people had poor knowledge. It was found that the knowledge of people regarding prevention of road traffic accident was poor with a mean and mean percentage score of 12.06 and 40.20% respectively whereas Standard Deviation was 5.84. It proved that the maximum level of knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accident among people is poor. It is also found that the significance of association between knowledge levels of people with selected demographic variables at 0.05 level of significance and there is no significant association between knowledge levels of people with selected demographic variables except monthly income.

 

INTRODUCTION:

Worldwide we have had great success in fighting disease that kill and claim people. But in spite of this a significant portion of the worldwide burden of ill health surprisingly on raise is road traffic accident. It is the tenth leading cause of all death globally. Human error is the critical cause in 93% of crashes with speeding, drinking, bad lane changes etc.¹

 

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people, aged 15–29 years. Children, pedestrians, cyclists and older people are among the most vulnerable of road users constituting half of those dying on the world’s roads. Majority of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately half of the world's vehicles. An estimated 1.25 million people are killed in road traffic crashes every year and 50 million are injured every year and they occupy 30% to 70% of orthopedic beds in hospitals of developing countries.²

 

According to WHO if this present trend continues, road traffic accident will become third leading contributor of the global burden of the disease and injury by 2020.  Road Traffic Accident -A road traffic accident can be defined as “a fatal or non-fatal injury incurred as a result of a collision on a public road involving at least one moving vehicle.” According to Safe Car Guide, road traffic accident can be defined as an accident that occurs on a way or street open to public traffic, results in one or more persons being killed or injured, and at least one moving vehicle is involved. Therefore, road traffic accident is a collision between vehicles, between vehicles and pedestrians, between vehicles and animals, or between vehicles and fixed obstacles.³

 

According to official statistics 141,526 persons were killed and 477,731 injured in road traffic crashes in India in 2018 (National Crime Records Bureau, 2018). However, this is probably an underestimate, as not all injuries are reported to the police. The actual numbers of injuries requiring hospital visits may be 2,000,000-3,000,000 persons per year. The situation in India is worsening and road traffic injuries (RTI) have been increasing over the past twenty years. This may be partly due to the increase in number of vehicles on the road but mainly due to the absence of coordinated evidence-based policy to control the problem. These data show that the number of fatalities has continued to increase at about seven per cent a year over the past decade except over the last couple of years.⁴

 

Objectives of the Study:

To assess the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district. To find out the association between the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among people in Mehsana district with their selected demographic variables.

 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

A descriptive non experimental design was used for the study. The tool used for data collection in this study was a validated by the experts. The population covered under the study were people of Mehsana city with sample size 100. Study tool: It comprised two sections, Section A, demographic variables while Section B, the structured knowledge questionnaire prepared on the basis of knowledge regarding prevention of Road traffic accident.

 

Sampling Technique Data Collection:

A convenient sampling technique was adopted to select the sample. Assurance of Confidentiality and privacy was maintained throughout the study. Adequate instructions and explanation regarding the procedure to collect the data were given to the participants.

Data Analysis:

The data collected were organized, tabulated and statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Mean, Standard deviation and Chi-square were calculated. 95% Confidence Interval was used with P value ˂ 0.05 considered significant.

 

RESULT:

The data was collected from selected area at Mehsana city and 100 people were the sample of the study taken by convenient sampling. The structured questionnaire was given to people which consist of two sections such as: Section-A, including selected demographic variables (Age, Gender, Education, Occupation, Type of family, Monthly income, Having driving license) and Section-B, including 30 multiple choice questions regarding prevention of road traffic accident. The research approach used for the study was quantitative research. The discussion was done on major findings in accordance with the objectives of the study and hypotheses. Description of demographic variables of selected samples that Majority of (56%) people were between the age group of 18-28 years,68% were male, 64% people were from nuclear family , 42% people were graduate, 28% people were unemployed, 72% of people were having family income above Rs15000, and 84% people had diving license.

 

A glance at the table revealed that majority of 52% people were having poor knowledge, 32% mothers are having average knowledge while on the contrary tiny fraction of 16% mothers having good knowledge. It is found that the very less mothers had good knowledge regarding Prevention of road traffic accident. It was found that the knowledge of people regarding prevention of road traffic accident was poor with a mean and mean percentage score of 12.06 and 40.20% respectively whereas Standard Deviation was 5.84.

 

Table I Assessment of knowledge regarding Prevention of road Traffic Accident

Level of Knowledge	Range	Frequency	%
Poor	0-10	52	52
Average	11-20	32	16
Good	21-30	16	16

 

Finding related to the association between pretest knowledge score with selected demographic variables:

The association between the of Knowledge and socio-demographic Variable. Based on the third objectives used to chi-square test to associate the level of knowledge on prevention of road traffic accident and selected demographic variable The chi-square value show that there is no significance between knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accident and selected demographic variables except monthly income.

 

CONCULSION:

Purpose of the study to assess the knowledge regarding prevention of road traffic accident. The descriptive design had been taken to assessing people overall knowledge about prevention of road traffic accident has been accomplished with this study. Whereas structure questionnaire had been chosen to get the information. After data collection, investigator got to know that 52 people had poor knowledge, 32 people was having average knowledge, whereas 16 people were having good knowledge. Score of people reveals that there is significant effect of education and source of information on the knowledge score. It shows that there is no significant association between knowledge levels of people with selected demographic variables except monthly income.

 

REFERNCE:

1.      Dinesh Mohan, “Road Safety in Less-Motorized Environments: Future Concerns,” International Journal of Epidemiology 31, No. 3 (2002): 527-32.

2.      Toroyan, T. (2018). Global status report on road safety. Injury Prevention, 15(4), pp.286-286.

3.      Margie Peden and Adnan A. Hyder, “Road Traffic Injuries are a Global Public Health Problem,” British Medical Journal 324, no. 7346 (2018): 1153.

4.      Pal R, Ghosh A, Kumar R, Galwankar S, Paul SK, Pal S, Sinha D, Jaiswal A K, Moscote-Salazar LR, Agrawal A. Public health crisis of road traffic accidents in India: Risk factor assessment and recommendations on prevention on the behalf of the Academy of Family Physicians of India. J Family Med Prim Care 2019;8: 775-83

 

 

Received on 26.11.2019          Modified on 21.12.2019

Accepted on 04.01.2020     © A&V Publications all right reserved