Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching on Knowledge among ASHA Workers Regarding HPV Infection in a Selected Rural Community of Mangaluru, India

Abstract

Introduction: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a major aetiological agent for cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in the world. The main role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) includes, motivating women to give birth in hospitals, bringing children to immunisation clinics, encouraging family planning, treating minor ailments, keeping demographic records, and improving village sanitation. In the community, ASHA create awareness on health and its social determinants and mobilise the community towards local health planning and increased utilisation and accountability of the existing health services. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of video-assisted teaching on knowledge regarding HPV infection among ASHA workers. Materials and Methods: A pre-test post-test design was adapted for this study. Fifty-eight ASHA workers were selected using a convenience sampling method. A pre-test was conducted to assess the existing knowledge on HPV infection with the help of structured knowledge questionnaire, followed by Video-Assisted Teaching on HPV infection and seven days later a post-test was done. Interpretation of score of knowledge questionnaire between 1-5 was considered as poor knowledge, 6-10 an average knowledge, 11-15 good knowledge and 16- 20 excellent knowledge. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The p-value less than 0.05 were considered to be significant by Z-test. Results: The knowledge of HPV infection was improved noticeably after the video-assisted teaching program as the pre-test mean knowledge score was 7.19±2.55, and the post-test score was 13.10±1.95 at p<0.05. Statistically significant effectiveness of the video-assisted teaching program was established using Willcoxon signed-rank test (Z-value=-6.56 with p<0.05); however, no significant association was found between the pre-test level knowledge and demographic variables. Conclusion: Knowledge of HPV infection among peripheral community workers is vital as it can influence the broader population and avoid this preventable disease condition at the grass root level. The current study revealed that a video-assisted teaching program on HPV infection effectively improved the knowledge level of ASHA workers.

Keywords

• accredited social health activist
• awareness
• human papilloma virus
• knowledge scores
• perception
• structured knowledge questionnaire