Knowledge and preventive practices on hand foot and mouth disease among caregivers in two barangays in Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the knowledge and preventive practices against Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) among caregivers of 0-6 children in selected barangays in Iloilo City. Specifically, this study aimed to determine the following: the personal characteristics of the respondents in terms of age, sex, civil status, educational attainment, number of children, and monthly family income, respondents’ knowledge about Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD); respondents’ preventive practices against Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD); if there is significant relationship between personal characteristics and knowledge about Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD); if there is significant relationship between personal characteristics and preventive practices against Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD); and if there is significant relationship between knowledge and preventive practices against Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD). This is a descriptive-relational study which utilized a one-shot survey design. Stratified random sampling and systematic sampling with random start was used to draw the 327 sample respondents from the two selected barangays in Mandurriao, Iloilo City. Only caregivers who have less than 6 years old children were considered as the respondents of this study. A personal interview using a structured interview schedule was used to gather the needed data for the study. Upon completion of interview, the data were scored, classified, and computer-processed analyzed and interpreted. The statistical tools employed were mean and frequency distribution for the descriptive analysis, while Cramer’s V, Gamma, and Pearson’s r were used for inferential analysis. The average age of respondents was 30.21 years old. In general, majority of them were 26-35 years old. In addition, most of them were female and married .Most of them were high school educated, having only one child aging less than 6 years old, and earning 7,001-10,000 pesos per month with average of 10,408. 26 which is higher from the region 6 poverty threshold. Majority of them had high level of knowledge and had fair preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). The relational analysis revealed that age, civil status, and monthly family income are significantly associated with knowledge about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD), however, educational attainment and number of children were found to have no significant bearing on knowledge about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD).Of all the personal characteristics, age, civil status, and monthly family income were found to be significantly related to preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). Knowledge was significantly related to preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). The respondents in this study were young adult, female, married and fairly educated. They were middle income earners with a child aging less than 6 years old. Generally, though they were highly knowledgeable about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) but could still vulnerable of getting the disease with their child as two out of three of they had only fair preventive practices against such disease. Older and married respondents who had higher income group are more likely to have higher level of knowledge about Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). Educational attainment and numbers of children have no significant bearing with preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). Meanwhile, older, married, and who belong to higher income group tend have a good preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). Knowledge significantly influences preventive practices against Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD). High level of knowledge promotes good practices in preventing Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD).