Volume 28, Issue 148, June 2024

Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and perceptions of future health care professionals on Japanese Encephalitis

Sara Shahid¹, Maryam Ayesha², Fatima Aslam³, Javeria Riaz², Laiba Jamil², Minahil Zaman², Samra Essa², Samra Abdul Rauf², Mahnoor Chaudhry², Zakiullah Mairaj², Mehr-un-nisa², Muhammad Zahid Iqbal^1♦

¹Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
²Research Student, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
³Avicenna Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan

^♦Corresponding Author
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Background: Japanese encephalitis is a serious fetal disease that causes death. It is spread through an infected mosquito, especially in Asian and Pacific regions. The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) can cause severe inflammation of the brain. Objective: The current study's objective was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of future healthcare providers regarding Japanese Encephalitis from different medical institutes in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional, multi-centered observational study was conducted at multiple educational institutes. A structured self-made questionnaire was designed with knowledge, attitude, and perception-related questions. The study sample included 284 undergraduate students from the medical, dentistry, physiotherapy, and pharmacy departments. Data was collected from the respondents after they gave informed consent. The research project lasted 6 months. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS, utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics to summarize the results. Results: The knowledge of most future healthcare professionals as appropriate, as observed through baseline analysis. Healthcare providers know the name of Japanese Encephalitis but lack knowledge about its symptoms, preventive measures, and treatment protocols. Conclusion: The baseline evaluation of future healthcare professionals’ knowledge was observed to be adequate. Moreover, attitude and perception were observed to be positive as well. Medical students presented appropriate knowledge, a positive attitude, and good perceptions comparatively. Educational programs should be conducted for undergraduate students to provide them with information about diseases. This will help them enhance their knowledge and improve practices regarding disease management and prevention.

Keywords: Attitude; Cross-sectional; Health care professionals; Japanese encephalitis; Knowledge; Practices; Undergraduate students.

Medical Science, 2024, 28, e57ms3365

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v28i148.e57ms3365

Published: 18 June 2024