Subramaniam, Neevaarthana
(2023)
Development and validation of the
measurement tools and health
education module on knowledge and
practices for dengue among
kindergarten children in Kelantan.
PhD thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
Dengue had been classified as one of the longest existing vector-borne diseases
in Malaysia. Community members of all age groups had been prone to dengue
infection, however, awareness related studies on dengue among kindergarten children
aged five to six years had not been widely explored. Hence, this study aims to assess
knowledge and practice levels and test the educational intervention programmes for
young children in urban, sub-urban and rural areas of Kelantan. To achieve the
objective, this study consisted of a cross-sectional and interventional study design
which was conducted in four different phases. In Phase I, a guided interview-based
questionnaire with 40 initial items to measure knowledge and practice levels was
developed. Flashcards representing the illustration for selected items were also
developed. The interview-based questionnaire was then validated and revised through
content validity and face validity. The revised interview-based questionnaire was
proceeded for item, factor and reliability analysis. The finalised interview-based
questionnaire was then pre-tested following a cross-sectional study design among
randomly selected 200 kindergarten children. In Phase II, a total of 396 kindergarten
children were recruited to obtain knowledge and practice levels using the pre-validated
interview-based questionnaire. Next, in Phase III, activity-based and module-based
intervention programmes were developed, validated by experts and revised
accordingly. In Phase IV, the revised activity and module intervention programmes were proceeded to be tested among 46 and 72 kindergarten children, respectively. Data
from all the phases were analysed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences
(SPSS) according to the respective tests needed to produce the results. For the outcome
of this study, the final version of questionnaire consisted of 33 items, with a good
internal consistency of Cronbach Alpha of 0.788. Through the measurement of
knowledge and practice, practice levels were seen to be significantly higher in both
urban and sub-urban areas compared to the rural area (p < 0.05). Significant
differences (p < 0.001) were observed in both knowledge and practice scores among
participants after implementation of educational intervention programmes. Therefore,
this study concludes that the approach using the interview-based questionnaire and the
specifically designed educational intervention programmes are effective. They can be
considered valid and reliable study instruments for early exposure of dengue
knowledge and practices among kindergarten children aged five to six years old.
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