COMPARISON OF KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICES REGARDING DENGUE INFECTION IN MEDICAL STUDENTS A PRE AND POST INTERVENTION STUDY IN THE CITY OF LAHORE

Study Objectives: To assess pre and post intervention preventive knowledge &practices about Dengue infection. 1). To compare knowledge about Dengue infection between2nd and 5th year medical students. 2). To compare preventive practices about dengue infection,between 2nd year and 5th year medical students. Data Source: 2nd year and 5th year medicalstudents. Study Design: Cross-sectional with descriptive analysis. Setting: Study wasconducted in one medical school in the city of Lahore. Period: Data collection was completed inone month. Material and Method: Out of total number of undergraduate medical schools in thecity of Lahore where each one is considered as a cluster one was selected by simple randomsampling. Within the selected cluster (medical school) the students were (study units) wereselected by simple random sampling. Data collection technique & tool: Data was collectedthrough self-administered questionnaires. Sample size: 200 medical students from the selectedmedical school. Hundred students each from 2nd and 5th year ongoing classes were selectedthrough simple random sampling. Results: 35.5% (71/200) of medical students interviewed inboth the classes had an idea about the causative agent of Dengue infection of which 59.2%(42/71) were 5th year and 40.8% (29/71) were 2nd year medical students. Sufficient knowledgeabout symptoms of Dengue infection was found in 50.0% (100/200) of all participants out of which59.0% (59/100) were in final and 41% (41/100) were in 2ndyear of medical school. 51% (102/200)students were aware about different serotypes of Dengue infection out of which 63.7% (65/102)were 5th year and 36.3% (37/102) were 2nd year medical students (p< 0.0001: 95% CL: 1.7-5.6).About 42.5% (85/200) students interviewed were knowledgeable of different preventivemeasures to combat Dengue infection in community of which 49.4% (42/85) were 5th year and50.6% (43/85) were 2nd year medical students (p= 0.88, 95% CL: .54-1.6). Similarly out of 5thyear students who were aware of preventive measures against Dengue infection 50 %( 21/42)were undertaking preventive practices as compared to 51% (22/43) of 2nd year medical students(p= 0.91, CL: .40-2.2). Conclusions: There was no statistically significant difference inpreventive knowledge and practices against Dengue infection between 5th and 2nd year medicalstudents. Thus Community Medicine curriculum related to vector-borne diseases delivered inyear 4 of medical school was not successful in producing post intervention knowledge andbehavior change in 5th year medical students.