Knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection among the adolescent girls of age group of 13-16 years in Carmel School, Digboi, Tinsukia, Assam

Abstract

A Urinary tract Infection is bacterial infection that can affect any part of the urinary tract. This includes the kidneys, which make urine, ureters, tubes that carry urine from kidney and the urethra, the tube that carries urine from bladder out of body.1 Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common problems in the female population.8 They are familiar to many women. Approximately 50 % of all women have at least one such infection in their lifetime. Study by Fakhria J. M showed that girl students sometimes use analgesic to reduce the pain caused due to UTI.2,5 According to WHO, Urinary Tract Infections is one of the leading cause of morbidity. About half female population report UTI during some point in their lives. It has high mortality and morbidity rates as well. Generally, women are 10 to 30 times prone to develop UTI as compared to men. UTI is treatable and preventable. But majority of the adolescent girls do not have adequate knowledge on Causes and preventive measures of urinary tract infection.3,4 Parents of adolescent girls should have adequate knowledge on adolescent health so that common diseases that may occur during adolescent period e.g urinary tract infection can be prevented. But research study by Hepsi Bai J revealed that some parents of adolescent girls do not have adequate knowledge regarding adolescent health. The study found that 60% of the parents had adequate knowledge regarding adolescent health.6 Study by Alphonsa Pascal also found that adolescent girls don’t have adequate knowledge on prevention of urinary tract infection and adolescent girls gained knowledge on UTI after planned teaching programme on UTI.7 Aims and Objectives: To assess the knowledge regarding Urinary Tract Infections among the adolescent girls of age group of 13-16 years in Carmel School, Digboi, Assam, to find out association between the knowledge Urinary Tract Infection among the adolescent girls of age group of 13-16 years and selected demographic variables in Carmel School, Digboi, Assam. Research methodology: This was a non-experimental quantitative descriptive research design. This study was conducted among adolescent girls of age group 13-16 years of Carmel School, Digboi. Self structured validated questionnaire in English language were prepared for demographic pro-forma; to assess the knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection. It includes 12 questions on demographic pro-forma, 22 questions on knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection. Results: Researcher assess the level of knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection among the adolescent girls of 13-16 years in Carmel School, Digboi and found that among 40 girls, most of them 32(80%) had moderately adequate knowledge, 5(12.5%) had adequate knowledge and 3(7.5%) had inadequate knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection. Level of Knowledge was not significantly associated between the knowledge regarding Urinary Tract Infection among the adolescent girls and selected demographic variables. Conclusion: The adolescent girls have moderately adequate knowledge on Urinary Tract Infection. It is found that there is no significant association between level of knowledge and selected demographic variables.