A Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding COVID-19 among Mother Child with Autism at District Disability Rehabilitation Centre at Agartala, Tripura, India
Authors: Shipra Sen  , Rajwant Randhawa  , Priyanka Choudary  
Published: August 2022

In spite of high density of population, higher in poverty, lower levels of per capita public health infrastructure in our country interestingly recovery rate of COVID-19 is good. COVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease. Studies suggest that lack of proper knowledge regarding COVID-19, severe morbidity and high mortality also high in our country. During any kind of disaster or pandemic vulnerable groups or populations like mental and neorudevelopmetal disorder like child with autism spectrum disorder known to be overly effected in negative way. According to epidemiological research report during the last decade there is dramatically increase in the rate of autism with prevalence of 5 to 10 cases of classic autism per 10,000 . Knowledge regarding COVID-19 among mothers child with autism was negatively correlated with the demographical value and social functional support reported by the mothers child with autism. This study sought to assess the knowledge toward COVID-19 among mother with autism seeking care for their child with autism in the District Disability Rehabilitation Centre, Tripura. This descriptive study hypothesized there are adequate knowledge about COVID-19 as because awareness was done by mass media from government and nongovernment side in a very intensive way. We conduct an investigation how mother child with autism with their specific demographical properties shows their knowledge about COVID-19 awareness and strategy they applied to prevent and recover from COVID-19.Our sample was selected randomly. Our study shows that knowledge and strategy of mother regarding COVID-19 significantly associated with their education, mother with special training, source of income, background of family support. The awareness level high among mothers about COVID-19 in percent was high 6.7 levels. Proportion of High Strategic capacity with COVID- 19 as high percentage18.7. This descriptive study is according result is significant with selected demographical variables of mothers child with autism.Method: A descriptive study was conducted in District Disability Rehabilitation Centre, Tripura. A simple random sampling technique was conducted with structured questionnaire in this centre. A total 50 mothers with child autism were randomly sampled. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the knowledge between the mothers with autism with demographic variables. Data was analyzed depending priorities on source of hearing and visualizing awareness, awareness regarding source of infection, sign and symptoms of infection, strategies adopted to withstand challenges from COVID-19,vulnerable group’s members, Proportion of high strategies capacity with COVID-19.Result: The awareness level high among mothers about COVID-19 in percent was 6.7 levels. Because our Government did mass awareness on Covid-19 as well as District Disability Centre also. Distribution source of hearing about COVID-19 knowledge among mothers according to study mostly from newspaper is 37%. Awareness among mothers about sources of infection high in percentage via handshaking is 70.3, CoughDroplets and Public Gathering are same as 49.3.Symptom awareness of fever, cough, breathlessness are equal asin percentage 70.Strategies adopted to withstand challenges from COVID-19 in percentages in hand washing andusing sanitizer 70.9. The demographical independent variables are the age, religion, education, family income,residential area, with chronic stress child with autism. Mothers child with autism without family support andwith no formal education negatively associated with Covid-19 strategic capacity in percentage. According to ourstudy mothers have adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19 is resulted Proportion of high Strategic capacitywith COVID-19 in percentage is 18.7Conclusion: Although majority of mothers have adequate knowledge about COVID-19 and engaged in goodpractice of COVID-19, awareness level have to increase in all mothers with different demographical variables .Asa study result mothers are aware about COVID-19 in percent 33.3 in low lavel,60 percent are in medium level.From result there is some decrease in awareness depending on demographical value as education, family income,special training, background of family support and types of family negatively impact- the adequate knowledgeamong mothers. From we come in conclusion that mothers have adequate knowledge about COVID-19 withpath of strategic capacity.