Effect of Health Educational Program for Rural Population on Prevention of Rabies

Abstract

Background: Rabies is a fatal viral zoonotic disease and a serious public health problem that can affect all mammals, including humans, cats, dogs and wildlife and farm animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of health educational programs for rural population on prevention of rabies. Research design: Quasi-experimental design. Setting: The study was conducted at Met El atter-Ramala-Met Radi-Met Alhovin-Damalo-Warwara and Bata health care center. Sample: Simple random sample was used from rural population attending to the previously mentioned settings to emergency department, sample size was (372). Tools of data collection: Two tools were used, tool (1) interviewing questionnaire and tool (2) assess attitude of rural population regarding rabies by using Likert scale. Results: 66.9% of the studied sample had a poor total level of knowledge level about rabies at pre-program implementation, moreover, 74.5% of them had good total knowledge level at post program implementation. 17.7% of the studied sample had satisfactory total practices level toward prevention from rabies pre-program implementation and this percentage increased to 82.3% post program implementation. 25.0% of the studied sample had positive total attitude level toward rabies pre-program implementation and this percentage increased to 86.6% post program implementation. Conclusion: There was a highly statistically significant correlation between the studied rural population's total knowledge level and total practices level and total attitude level