A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Tourette’s Syndrome Among Teachers in Selected Primary Schools at Jaipur, Rajasthan, with a View to Developing an Information Booklet on Prevention of Tourette’s Syndrome

Abstract

Background of the study: Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurologic disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds called tics. Both multiple motor and one or more vocal tics need to be present; causes marked distress or significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. In this modern era, both parents may have job and they may not get enough time to give proper attention to their children. At the same time, the children spend most of their time with teachers in the school. So the teachers are getting a better chance to identify the problems of children in comparison with others. By early detection, we can prevent the disturbances and distress that may occur in their future.
Methodology: The data was generated by using structured questionnaire. Convenient sampling was adopted to select 60 teachers as subjects from Jaipur. The data obtained from the subjects were analyzed and interpreted in terms of the objectives and hypotheses of the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analysis, and the p-value was set at the 0.05 level.
Results: The result was formulated using the data obtained. The overall mean score of knowledge on Tourette’s Syndrome is 16.48, and the standard deviation is 3.084 and that of attitude is 50.22, and the standard deviation is 10.187respectively. 41.7% teachers had inadequate knowledge, 25% had moderately adequate knowledge and 33.3% had adequate knowledge. Among the teachers, 20% had a moderately favorable attitude; 50% had unfavorable and 3 0% ha d favorable attitude respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between knowledge and attitude. Pearson’s R correlation was 0.308. The knowledge level had an association with the demographic variable and the attitude level had an association with the demographic variables.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the knowledge of teachers regarding Tourette’s Syndrome was inadequate, and most of them had a moderately favorable attitude. There was a significant correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude. There was a significant association between the knowledge and demographic variable, age, as well as a significant association between the level of attitude and demographic variables; educational status and no. of class hours taken per day. Thus, the hypothesis was accepted only in the context of the above-mentioned two demographic variables and in the correlation.