Knowledge about the PCPNDT Act amongst uninitiated medical students and their personal psychological preferences regarding related issues – a cross sectional study from a rural medical college
Journal Title: INDIAN JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH - Year 2016, Vol 3, Issue 4
Abstract
Background: In recent decades, India is waking up from its economic slumber and utilizing its everincreasing population as an engine of a continual economic growth. In the background, however, the masculinization of the sex ratio raises many questions. Studies examining the opinions about these important public health issues amongst medical students have been few and far between. Our study aims to assess the existing level of knowledge and attitude towards these topics in second year medical students. Method: The study was conducted among the second-year students of MBBS in a rural medical college. A schedule consisted of questions regarding the general demographic indicators of the students followed by estimates and perceptions of the existing sex ratio, knowledge about the PCPNDT act, and finally their own preferences regarding related issues. Results: Out of the 110 students present in the class, 107 gave their consent to participate in the study thus making the participation rate 97%. Fifty-one percent students could correctly identify the current sex ratio as between 900-1000 females per 1000 males. Fifty-one (48%) students thought that sex selective abortion is more prevalent in the rural areas and 71 (66.4%) students thought that it is more prevalent in the lower socioeconomic strata. Mann-Whitney U test was insignificant for the difference between the opinions of males and females regarding the prevalence of sex selective abortion. Only a quarter 25 (23.4%) had heard about the PCPNDT act and 8 (7.47%) students could expand the acronym: PCPNDT. Most of students wanted 2 children for themselves and the most preferred spacing duration was 3 years. Males students prefer less spacing as compared to females and this was found to be statistically significant with p=0.014. Conclusion: The awareness of the illegality of pre-conceptional and pre-natal sex selection techniques is found to be almost universal. Statistically significant differences were not observed between males and females on the awareness of the act or their perception of areas where sex selection is more prevalent. The outlook of people regarding the trend of sex ratio and the success of PCPNDT act remains pessimistic. Further research is needed for eliciting the perception of the medical students regarding the act and the trends of sex ratio in India.
Authors and Affiliations
Harshal Sabane, Aishwarya Agarwal, Bandana Patnaik
Keywords
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- EP ID EP250809
- DOI 10.30877/IJMH.3.4.2016.412-418
- Views 68
- Downloads 0
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