47

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter contains the discussion of the method and procedures to be used to gather the data and in answer to the problems of the study. Specifically, this chapter will present the research design, sampling design, research instrument, respondents of the study, data gathering procedure, the statistical treatment of data and locals of the study.Research Design

The study employed the analytical research design to determine the prevailing knowledge , attitude and prevention and control practices regarding Leptospirosis of the three groups of respondents, namely; the healthe workers and barangay officials and barangay residents in the community of Catbalogan City, Western Samar.The demographic characteristics of respondents as to age, occupation, educational, attainment and total family income were first described utilizing frequency table, percentages, and mean scores. Mean scores were also used to measure the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices on Leptospirosis.Analysis as to any differences in the level of knowledge and extent of practice of prevention and control strategies shall be made with the use of T-test.Locale of the StudyCatbalogan City is the city capital of Samar Province, Philippines with a population of 92,454 (2007. The name of the city was derived from Katbalaugan or Kabalaugan meaning a place where seafarers, fishermen or sailors take shelter or cover and are detained. It is Samar's main commercial, trading, educational, political and financial center. There are 57 barangays in Catbalogan City, twenty-one of which are situated in the poblacion. Another twenty-one barangays are located in the coastal areas and fifteen are in the interior or upland areas. The topography of Catbalogan City is rough and its mountains are relatively highThis study was conducted at selected barangays in the community of Catbalogan City. These are the barangays wherein flooding has been observed to slowly subside which are: Barangay Munoz, Barangay 1, Barangay 7,Barangay Canlapwas, Barangay 13 and Barangay Guindapunan. MAP LOCATION

Respondents of the StudyThere were 187 respondents of the study which included the health workers and barangay officials and selected residents of six barangays in Catbalogan City. The six barangays were: Barangay Munoz, Barangay 1, Barangay 7, Barangay Canlapwas, Barangay 13, and Barangay Guindapunan. One hundred twenty (120) barangay residents were chosen and who were at least 18 years of age and were available at the time of survey. Total number of households in the six barangays covered in the study is estimated to be 12,000. Research Instrument A survey questionnaire was used to gather the data consisting of :Part 1 inquires about the socio demographic profile of the two groups of respondents on age, occupation, educational attainment and total family income. Part II consists of three subparts: IIA consists of our statements per category which inquires about the prevailing knowledge of the respo0ndents as to the causative organism, disease transmission, common signs and symptoms and prevention and control practices regarding Leptospirosis. Part IIB determines the prevailing attitude of the respondents wherein they were asked about their sources of information on Leptospirosis and inquires about their reaction to the information and other attitudinal issues.A four-point Likert scale was used to answer the other attitudinal issues listed with 4 corresponding to highly concerned, 3- moderately concerned, 2- least concerned, and 1 for not concerned at all.Part IIC consisits of ten activity statements from which respondents were asked to to choose from terms in terms of what they thought are the appropriate prevention and control practices on Leptospirosis.In addition, this sub part inquires about the extent of practice with the use of a four-point likert scale wherein 4 corresponds to always practiced, 3 frequently practiced, 2- moderately practiced and 1 for seldom practiced.Validation of Research Instrument.

To ensure accuracy and precision of data generation, the survey questionnaires used in this study were exposed to ten individuals per same grouping of respondents or a total of 30 in the most flood prone barangay in Barangay Burak, Catbalogan City. The research instrument were modified as needed based on the responses and observations during the pilot study but who will be excluded as respondents of the study. It was also translated to tagalog so that it will be more comprehensible by those respondents who dont have formal schooling and considering also that people of Catbalogan are fond of communicating using the dialect aside from waray-waray to ensure easy comprehension.Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher after having sought the preliminary approval to conduct the study from RTRMF Graduate School and upon the advice of ther adviser went to DOH to obtain records and other pertinent information on Leptospirosis to be inputted into the research proposal. After the approval of the proposal by the thesis panel, formal letters were made to the concerned Barangay Chairmen requesting permission to conduct the study emphasizing the use of survey questionnaire.The researcher attended barangay sessions wherein she was given the opportunity to discuss and explain the purpose of the study and the mechanics of data generation.

The same request was made to the City Health Office for the participation of rural health nurses assigned to the six identified barangays.The help of the Rural Health Unit was solicited for the identification of the health care workers (nurses) assigned to the covered barangays including their mobile phones numbers. Afterwards the researcher met the identified respondents, explained the purpose and the mechanics and thereby also sought permission to be included as respondents.Informed consent was implied on the part of the respondents when they agreed to participate and subsequently returned the accomplished survey forms. Finally, the data from the questionnaire were collected, recorded, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted with the assistance of a statistician of researcher choice.Statistical Treatment

The demographic profile of the respondents shall be described with the use of frequency tables and percentages. Cross tabulation (chi-square) was employed for the determination of the prevailing level of knowledge on Leptospirosis and prevention and control practices against the infection among the two groups of respondents as well as the extent of practice of the prevention and control strategies.

For the qualitative interpretation of the results, the following scale shall be used.

Weighted Mean

Qualitative Interpretation

3.6 4.0

Often to always practiced

2.6 3.5

Moderately practiced

1.6 2.5

Seldom practiced

1.0 1.5

Not practiced at all

The null hypotheses as to any significant difference that exists between the prevailing level of knowledge and extent of practice of prevention and control strategies between the three groups of respondents was tested with the use of the t-test for independent samples using the following formula (Walpole, 1982:311):

__ __

(X1 - X2)

t = --------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________

/ (N1 1)S12 + (N2 1)S22 1 1

/ ____________________ [ - + - ]

\/ N1 + N2 -2 N1 N2

where:

_

X1 = is the mean of the first variable;

_

X2 = is the mean of the second variable;

n1 ( is the total number of respondent for the first

variable;

n2 ( is the total number of respondent for the second

variable ; S12 = is the variance of the responses of the first

variable; and

S22 = is the variance of the responses of the second

variable.To test the hypothesis, the computed value was compared with the tabular or critical value with the following decision rule: accept null hypothesis if and when the computed value turned lesser than the tabular value, and reject null hypothesis if and when the computed value turned equal or greater than the tabular or critical value.