Exploration of the Beliefs and Practices related to Snakebite Envenomation and Effectiveness of Multifaceted Snakebite Envenomation Education Programme on knowledge among agricultural workers: A mixed methods study
Background
Snakebite envenomation (SBE) remains a significantly neglected public health issue, despite its considerable contribution to morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Although numerous reports highlights the impact of SBE on rural populations, there remains a substantial lack of awareness and preventive knowledge among agricultural workers.
Aim
To explore the beliefs and practices related to snakebite envenomation and to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted snakebite envenomation education program (MSEEP) on knowledge regarding SBE among agricultural workers.
Methods
A mixed-method intervention design was adopted for the study. In Phase 1, a descriptive qualitative approach was used to identify the beliefs and practices related to snakebite envenomation. Ten participants were recruited for the qualitative strand of the study using a purposive sampling technique called intensity sampling. Qualitative data was collected by using a semi-structured interview schedule, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Then, the researcher refined & developed the MSEEP (Multifaceted Snakebite Envenomation Education Programme) based on the qualitative data and the expert's opinion. In Phase 2, 100 participants were selected purposively, out of which 50 were allotted to the experimental group and 50 to the control group. Quantitative data were collected using a structured knowledge questionnaire by interview method, and the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results
There are various beliefs about snakebites & notions related to snakebite envenomation, and a range of traditional treatments were described. The study found that the mean post-test knowledge score of 18.78 was significantly higher than the pre-test score of 10.5, with the statistical difference between the experimental and control group (t= 39.6, P=0.001*); (t= 1.07, P=0.28). There is a statistically significant association between pre-test knowledge scores and variables like age (P = 0.001*), gender (P = 0.008*), and education (P = 0.016*).