Year: 2024 | Month: January-March | Volume: 9 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 319-331
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20240143
Prevalence of Kala-Azar and Its Contributing Factors Among Rural Population in Selected Community of West Bengal
Pampa Sarkar1, Dr. Aparna Ray2, Jaya Mandal3
1Clinical Instructor, College of Nursing, North Bengal Medical College & Hospital Darjeeling, Pin --734012
2R.N, R.M, M.N, Ph.D.(N), Reader Govt. College of Nursing I.D.& B. G Hospital Campus, Kolkata -10
3Senior Lecturer, S.S.K.M College of Nursing, Kolkata-20
Corresponding Author: Pampa Sarkar
ABSTRACT
Background: Kala-azar is a serious form of leishmaniasis. It is a long-term infectious disease. The study was aimed to assess the prevalence of Kala-azar, and it’s contributing factors among the rural population.
Methods: In this retrospective study population was previously treated Kala-azar patients (Visceral Leishmaniasis and Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis) from 2017 to 2021. The settings were villages under Kushmondi and Harirampur Rural Hospital under Dakshin Dinajpur. 90 samples were selected through Non-Probability Purposive sampling technique. Demographic data were collected by applying Semi structured interviewed schedule. Record analysis format was used to identify the prevalence of Kala-azar and the disease profile. An observational checklist and structured interview schedule were used to assess the contributing factors of Kala-azar.
Results: Maximum prevalence of Kala-azar (1.4%) seen in the year 2017. There were statistically significant mean differences among the contributing factors as the ANOVA test calculated F-value (2507.18) is higher than table value of F (2.60) with df (3, 356) at 0.05 level of significance. Environmental factors contributed more than other factors as the mean value (13.00) was more than other factors. There is a statistically significant relation between environmental factor with utilization of services, economic factors with socio- cultural factors & utilization of services, as well as socio- cultural factors with utilization of services as the p-value is <0.05, at 0.05 level of significance. There was a statistically significant association between contributing factors and selected demographic variables like age, gender as the calculated value of chi square 7.391 and 4.888 is higher than table value c² (df)2=5.99 p ,c² (df)1=3.84 p <0.05 at 0.05 level of significance.
Conclusion: The study has implications in nursing practice through the awareness of the rural population about the contributing factors of Kala-azar. The study concluded that the trends of prevalence were decreasing in nature and the environmental factors contributed more than other factors.
Keywords: Prevalence, Kala-azar case, Environmental factors, Economic factors, Socio- cultural factors & Utilization of services.