Impact of an Educational Video on Knowledge and Attitudes on Snakebite among Community in the Viharagama Grama Niladhari Division, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Snakebite is a neglected tropical illness that primarily affects the rural areas of tropical countries followed by thousands of deaths and associated costs. Objective: To assess the impact of an educational video on knowledge and attitudes about snakebite among the community in Viharagama Grama Niladhari division, Kandy district in Sri Lanka Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 134 households (HHs) in Viharagama Grama Niladhari division in Sri Lanka using systematic random sampling method. A content and face validated, pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. A voice doubed video on first aid treatment, antivenom therapy for snakebites, and snake identification was used as an educational intervention. In the first part of the questionnaire, a correct answer was given with one score and an incorrect answer was given with a zero score. For the 24 questions; we considered respondents as “good” if they scored >18, “fair” if they scored 13-18, and “poor” if they scored <12. In the second part, one score was given for each reported positive attitude in the 10 questions. Pre intervention and post intervention data on knowledge and attitudes were analysed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: A total of 369 participants from 134 HHs were included in the study. The majority of participants were females (59.1%, n=218) and age ranged from 18-30 years (43.4%, n=160). The study sample showed a statistically significant improvement (p<0.001) in the knowledge at the post intervention (98.9%) compared to the pre-intervention (28.2 %). Participants in the study showed a statistically significant improvement in their attitudes (p<0.001), with a mean score of 7.7 at pre-intervention and a mean score of 9.4 at post-intervention. Conclusions: An educational video can be used to improve knowledge and attitude on first aid treatment, antivenom therapy for snakebites, and snake identification among the community.