Effectiveness of Teaching Intervention on Identification and Management of the Eating Disorder

Abstract

Background of the study -Eating disorder is one ofthe serious mental health problems associated with unusual eating patterns and behavior. It debilitating affects the individuals' physical health as well emotional health.

Objectives- the objective to organize this study was toevaluate the existing knowledge,assess post-test (obtained) knowledge about eating disorders (problems), assess the effectiveness of the structured teaching program, and find the associations between post-test that are obtained knowledge scores& certain Socio-demographic characteristics.

Methodology – 50 Subjects under the age of 18- 25 Years were selected as samples by probability random sampling technique.A validated self-structured knowledge questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge. It had 2 sections where Section-I, assesses the Demographic characteristics of subjects, and Section –II includes a Knowledge questionnaire.

Result - In the present study majority of subjects, 90% (45)hadan Inadequate,and 10%(5) hada Moderate level of knowledge. After the structured teaching program,62% (31) subjects had adequate knowledge and 38% (19) hada moderate level of knowledge.The pretest mean knowledge score was 11.6 standard deviation was 6.48, and post-test mean knowledge score was 32 and the standard deviation was 4.66. The teaching program was found effective as the calculated t score16.65 was found greater than the table value (df 49 ) 1.68 at a 5%  (0.05) level of significance. An association was found between education status, types of occupation, area of living, and source of information with post-test knowledge score as calculated chi-square (x²) value were greater than table value at 5%  (0.05) level of significance.

Conclusion - Most of the subjects had average knowledge regarding the identification and management of eating disorders in the pre-test whereas the mean percentage post-test scores and modified gain scores in all items were found high in the post-test.There was a significant difference between the existing knowledge score in the pre-test and obtained knowledge score in the post-test.The structured teaching program was an effective strategy for improving the knowledge among teenage girls.