Outcome of community based planned intervention targeting perceptions, attitudes and health seeking behaviour regarding cancers in New Delhi, India

Authors

  • Atul Kotwal Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Armed Forces Medical Services
  • Tulika Seth Department of Hematology-Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
  • Rakesh Thakur Department of Community Oncology, Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
  • G. K. Rath Chief, Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
  • D. N. Sharma Department of Radiation Oncology, All India Institute Of Medical Science, New Delhi
  • Jitendra Nagpal Consultant, Psychiatry, Mool Chand Hospital, New Delhi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20200454

Keywords:

Attitude, Cancers, Cancer Control Programme, Community based Intervention, Knowledge, Practices

Abstract

Background: Cancer prevention and control needs to be based on effective implementation of all approaches. Community as well as individual level interventions to increase knowledge and early reporting have shown effectiveness. A community-based intervention trial was conducted to design, implement and test short-term outcomes of evidence based preventive strategies.

Methods: A mixed methods, three phased study was conducted in three districts of Delhi, which were selected by a random process. Two randomly selected districts out of these three were intervention districts while third was the control. A total sample of 500 in each district was studied in quantitative pre and post -intervention phases. Multistage, stratified, cluster sampling was utilized. Pre-tested and validated tools were used.

Results: Post intervention, statistically significant higher scores were observed in all domains in intervention districts as compared to control (p<0.01). Though comparison of slum versus non-slum showed significant increment in knowledge and practice scores, with higher scores for non-slum respondents, the attitudes were very similar (p>0.05). The increment score changes between males and females was similar in all classes of society versus control district. Comparison within the intervention and control groups revealed increased scores in intervention districts and decreased scores in control district, in all domains (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Our study has helped in understanding the determinants of perceptions, attitude and practices regarding cancer in the community, This, helped in formulating the need-based intervention strategies. Testing the short-term outcome of intervention showed it to be effective.

Author Biography

Atul Kotwal, Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, Armed Forces Medical Services

Maj Gen (Professor)

MD, PDF (Epidemiology), FRCP Edin, FAMS, FIPHA, FIAPSM

Armed Forces Medical Services

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Published

2020-01-28

How to Cite

Kotwal, A., Seth, T., Thakur, R., Rath, G. K., Sharma, D. N., & Nagpal, J. (2020). Outcome of community based planned intervention targeting perceptions, attitudes and health seeking behaviour regarding cancers in New Delhi, India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 7(2), 711–716. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20200454

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Original Research Articles