Knowledge and practices regarding the prevention of tetanus among adults of resettlement colony of Delhi, India

• Published in: Indian journal of medical specialities 2019-07, Vol.10 (3), p.155-158
• Main Authors: Dahiya, Neha, Kumar, Rajesh, Meena, Gajendra, Goel, Palak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Biological products; Immunization; Tetanus; Tetanus toxoid
• ISSN: 0976-2884; 0976-2892
• DOI: 10.4103/INJMS.INJMS_36_19

Background: Community awareness about tetanus immunization schedules and its importance in preventing tetanus is very low. Aim: This community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices about tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization among the general population in a resettlement colony of East Delhi. Materials and Methods: Stratified random sampling was done. There were five blocks and 50 participants were taken from each block randomly. The study was explained to the prospective participants during routine home visits. The study was conducted over a 3-month period from November 2017 to January 2018. Adult residents of the urban resettlement colony, of either sex, who gave written informed consent to participate in the study, were interviewed at their homes, at a time convenient to them, using a semi-structured proforma, and their responses were recorded and analyzed using the SPSS version 20. Results: Of the 250 participants enrolled, 230 persons who were willing to respond were included. The mean age was 35.9 years. 68.3% of the participants were female and 31.7% were male. Awareness of tetanus immunization regarding injury shows that only 52.1% of the respondents knew about the need of tetanus injection after injury beside other measures such as medicine and bandage. This knowledge was significantly associated with education. Majority (85.6%) of the respondents did not know the correct schedule of tetanus prevention immunization schedule in children. Only 30.8% of the participants knew that diphtheria and tetanus toxoid prevents tetanus. Conclusions: Sustained and focused health education efforts are necessary to combat misconceptions regarding TT immunization.