A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases among Adolescent Girls of Selected Junior College of Kolhapur

Abstract

Background Over one million women experience an episode of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) each year. It is the most common serious complication of STDs, long-term sequelae include ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and tubal infertility. One in five cases of PID occurs among younger women < 19 years of age. Although only about half of female adolescents are sexually active, they have the highest age-specific rates of PID among sexually experienced women. The risk of developing PID for a 15-year-old sexually active girl is estimated to be 10 times that of a 24-year-old woman. The higher relative risk of PID for younger women has been attributed to their greater biologic vulnerability and their behavioural and cognitive risk factors. In addition, HIV-infected women with PID may be at increased risk for more severe pelvic disease, a growing concern as rates of HIV infection among adolescent girls continue to rise. A crude marker of PID in resource-poor countries can be obtained from reported hospital admission rates, where it accounts for 17% to 40% of gynaecological admissions in sub-Saharan Africa, 15% to 37% in Southeast Asia, and 3% to 10% in India. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge regarding pelvic inflammatory diseases among adolescent girls in selected junior college of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Objectives: 1. To assess the knowledge regarding Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases among adolescent girls. 2. To find out an association between knowledge scores of the adolescent girl regarding Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases with their selected socio-demographic variables.

Methods: A quantitative evaluative approach was used, with a descriptive survey design. A sample of 100 adolescent girls was selected using non-probability purposive sampling technique. Knowledge was measured using a structured knowledge questionnaire (29 items; Cronbach's alpha = 0.73). Data were collected on January 2, 2025.

Result: The majority of adolescent girls (66%) had good knowledge, with a mean score of 20.46 ± 4.798. Average knowledge was observed in 30%, and poor knowledge in 4%. Significant associations were found between knowledge scores and socio-demographic variables (p < 0.05). Interpretation and conclusion: The study concludes that adolescent girls in Kolhapur exhibited good knowledge regarding pelvic inflammatory diseases. There is a need for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, to implement educational programs addressing pelvic inflammatory diseases awareness among vulnerable groups. The findings have implications for nursing practice, education, administration, and research. Recommendations for future studies and interventions to enhance community health are also provided.