Objective: Our study aimed at assessing the health literacy about cervical cancer amongst the rural women in Udupi district, southern India, before and following intervention using audio-visual aid/face-to-face interactive sessions versus pamphlets alone.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. A total of 166 women participated in the study. Participant groups were allocated into two interventional (Experimental/Control) groups. Participants in the experimental group received education through the video followed by face-to-face interaction with a health educator while those in the control group received a pamphlet. A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge about numerous risk factors, Pap smear test and treatment of cervical cancer (pre- and post-intervention test). The findings are presented as frequencies and percentages. Paired responses were compared for individual questions using McNemar test and P < 0.05 was fixed as statistically significant.
Results: Former to the intervention, 13.5% and 19.1% in the experimental and control groups, respectively, felt that personal hygiene was important to prevent cervical cancer. Both the groups had very limited knowledge regarding risk factors (93.6%; 94%), symptoms (96.3%; 97.6%) and knowledge that Pap smears can reduce the risk of cervical cancer (91.7%; 93.9%). The change in knowledge pre-and post-intervention in both groups increased significantly.
Conclusion: Intervention with face-to-face interactive sessions showed a positive impact on knowledge regarding cervical cancer. These findings indicate both methods can be effective in providing health education in the community.
METHODS: A total of 135 students from three undergraduate year levels of the MBBS degree at UAMC, Dhaka, Bangladesh, undertook study tours (community-based teaching, CBT) as a part of a community medicine course and visited a medical college, two rural health centres and a meteorology centre in the Cox's Bazar district, 400 km from Dhaka city. A questionnaire was used to assess the perceptions of students regarding the administration, organisation and learning experiences of the study tours. Students were required to write reports, present their findings and answer questions in their examinations related to the study tours and CBT.
RESULTS: The majority of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the tour was a worthwhile (93%) and enjoyable (95%) learning experience that helped them to understand rural health issues (91%). More than half of the students reported that the study tours increased their awareness about common rural health problems (54%) and provided a wider exposure to medicine (61%). Only 41% of students reported that the study tour increased their interest in undertake training in a rural area. A substantial number of students also expressed their concerns about the planning, length, resources, finance and organisation of the study tours.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the study tours had a positive effect, enhancing students' awareness and understanding of common rural health problems. As study tours failed to increase the motivation of the students (approximately 60%) to work in rural areas, CBT in the medical curriculum should be reviewed and implemented using effective and evidence-based models to promote interest among medical students to work in rural and underserved or unserved areas.