Impact of Health Literacy Multimedia Package (HLMP) in improving Awareness on Job-Related Diseases: A case study in Kerala, India

Abstract

This study aimed in determining the effectiveness of Health Literacy Multimedia Package (HAMP) in improving the health awareness level on occupational diseases of the women engaged in coir industry. A survey along the coastal belt of Kerala found that the unhygienic conditions prevailing around the area results in health hazard problems to the people engaged in coirindustry. Since they are spending almost the whole day in the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the yard they are at a high risk of developing occupational diseases. Their lack of knowledge about health and hygiene serves as the prime reason for the contagious diseases. Hence there arose the need to make them aware of the various health hazards, its causes and effects. The search for a strategy which enables to give them awareness regarding health education results in an awareness program through a developed multimedia named Health Literacy Multimedia Package. The package enabled individuals and communities to modify risks caused by unhealthy lifestyle, behaviour and the environment. The package is a ready available material for any instructor giving awareness in the area of occupational health for those working in coir industry. I. Introduction India is a vast country with a surface area of about 3.3million square km. About 72% of the population lives in rural area. India is a developing nation and presents the demographic features similar to the other developing nations of the world. Growing population is the major concern of the government and is considered as the principal obstacle to the economic growth of the country. Emerging occupational health problems are to be tackled along with the existing traditional public health problems like communicable diseases, malnutrition, poor environmental sanitation and inadequate medical care. Globalization and rapid industrial growth (about 7% annual economic growth) in the last few years have further complicated the occupational health related issues. The major occupational diseases/morbidity of concern in India are silicosis, musculo-skeletal injuries, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive lung diseases, asbestosis, byssinosis, pesticide poisoning and noise induced hearing loss. Among the various economic sectors a significant but unnoticed sector which causes many occupational diseases is the coir industry. Coir Industry in India has a very long history. Even the 11 th Century A.D. Arab writers have mentioned about Coir and referred to the use of this material for ship's cables, fenders, rigging etc. During the Thirteenth century, there was an evidence of coir yarn being used for ship-building in the Persian Gulf. The remarkable international correspondent of ancient times, Marco Polo, was impressed by its usage there and later on visited the land where Arabs bought their coir and recorded as to how it was made out of a fibre extracted from the coconut husk. Coir industry is concentrated mainly in the coastal belt of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. The 10 coastal districts account for nearly 90 per cent of the total production in Kerala, the southernmost state in India. In fact till the early decades of the last century the industrial development in Kerala, was mostly centred on coconuts. Production of coir yarn and fibre quietly spread through the coastal belt of Kerala utilizing the abundant and cheap labour that was available. Coir weaving industry was localized in and around the coastal areas of the state. Coir industry is one of the traditional industries of Kerala. This industry is described to be traditional, not merely in reference to its historical traditions but also in reference to their traditional technology base that continues to be handcrafted.