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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.

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Locale of the Study

Catbalogan 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 high
This 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

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Respondents of the Study

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There 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

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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, 2moderately 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

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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.

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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

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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)
= --------------------------------------------------------________________________________
/ (N1 1)S12 + (N2 1)S22
1 1
/ ____________________
[- +-]
\/
N1 + N2 -2
N 1 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 ;

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S12 = is the variance of the responses of the first

variable; and
S2 2
second

is the variance of the responses of the

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.

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