Effectiveness of A Structured Health Education Programme On Knowledge and Practices Regarding Prevention and Early Recognition of Common Childhood Respiratory Infections Among Nursing Students of a Selected Nursing College of Rajasthan: A Quasi-Experiment

Abstract

Background: Respiratory infections are common health problems among children and may range from mild illness to severe disease requiring timely medical assessment. Nurses have an important role in prevention, early recognition, health education and referral. Adequate knowledge and appropriate preventive practices among nursing students are therefore essential components of nursing education.

Methods: A quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was adopted. A sample of 100 nursing students was selected using purposive sampling and equally divided into experimental and control groups. A structured knowledge questionnaire and practice checklist were used for data collection. The experimental group received a structured health education programme, while the control group received routine academic instruction.

Results: The mean knowledge score of the experimental group increased from 14.28 ± 3.12 in the pre-test to 25.18 ± 2.46 in the post-test. The mean practice score increased from 11.42 ± 2.57 to 17.38 ± 1.81. The improvement in knowledge and practice scores was statistically significant at p <0.001. The control group demonstrated comparatively smaller changes.

Conclusion: The structured health education programme was effective in improving knowledge and preventive practices regarding childhood respiratory infections among nursing students.