A Descriptive Study to Assess the Challenges in Low Income Families During Covid-19 in Selected Slum Areas of Mehsana District

Ms. Jyoti Vaghela, Dr. Dayalal D. Patidar

Joitiba College of Nursing, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University,

Bhandu, Dist: Mehsana, Gujarat, India.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: jyotivaghela0703@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: The current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19; previously 2019-nCoV) has reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by newly discovered coronavirus. The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are identiﬁed as fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue, other diarrhea and acute respiratory distress. The COVID-19 transmission occurs from person-to-person. The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020. These were decision of governments to drastically restrict peoples movements by lockdown strategy. To closing businesses, schools, universities, public events and others (lock down strategy) in order to enable the health services to cope with the large number of severe cases. So the Vulnerable groups (workers in the informal sector, small businesses, migrant workers, refugees, homeless, and others) have the highest burden of the pandemic, economical and social impact. Research Approach: Quantitative approach. Research Design: Exploratory descriptive research design. Participants: 200 low income families in slum areas were selected by using non probability convenience sampling technique. TOOLS: Check list. RESULT: Challenges in low income families during COVID-19, 6 (3%) families had mild challenges, 27 (13.5%) had moderate challenges and 167 (83.5%) had severe challenges. Mean of challenges scores 17.35, mean percentage was 8.655% and standard deviation was 3.965. Chi-square test used to associate the level of challenges with their selected demographic variables at 0.05 level of significant. CONCLUSION: Statistical evidence proved that by the lockdown here the challenges are more in low income families during COVID-19 in slum areas.

KEYWORDS: Assess, Challenges, Low income, Families, Slum area, COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION:

The current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19; previously 2019-nCoV) has reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019.¹ The COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by newly discoverd coronavirus. ²

The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are identiﬁed as fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue, while other symptoms included sputum production, headache, haemoptysis, diarrhoea, dyspnoea, and lymphopenia. In addition, there are other abnormal features like acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute cardiac injury.¹

The incidence of grand-glass opacities in subpleural regions of both lungs to increased inﬂammation can be found with chest X-ray that led to death.¹coronaviruses can be transmitted between animals and people. The genomic sequence analysis of COVID-19 showed 88% of transmission occurs primarily from person-to-person transmission through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.³

Later on, the virus has overtaken the burden of morbidity and mortality around the world with a quickly spread. The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020. At that time, it affected more than 203 countries and territories around the world.⁴

These were decision of governments to drastically restrict peoples movements by lockdown strategy. To closing businesses, schools, universities, public events and others (lock down strategy) in order to enable the health services to cope with the large number of severe cases.

So the Vulnerable groups (Migrant workers, small businesses, Refugees and asylum seekers, Urban poor, homeless, Workers in the informal economic sector, workers, Women and children, Religious groups and indigenous communities, High risk groups for severe disease (elderly, chronic diseases, immunocompromised and others) have the highest burden of the pandemic, economical and social impact.⁵

A new survey of thousands of urban and rural households across India on the impact of COVID-19, has found that families are increasingly struggling to make ends meet, find employment, Expensive of health requirement and put food on the table. Overall, 80 percent of respondents said they could not afford day-to-day basics like food, water, electricity and gas, due to income loss. Hunger and a lack of access to food were the other top issues identified by respondents.

The indirect effects of the pandemic are also taking their toll on the most vulnerable in society, and with inadequate social safety nets to rely on, families are being driven to despair, with many taking out loans or selling household items to make ends meet. For children, being out of school and stuck at home exposes them to potential domestic abuse and exploitation. India has seen an increase in cases of child abuse since lockdown measures were imposed, and there is evidence that child trafficking is on the rise.^6,7

I classified the challenges of low income families during COVID-19 in slum area into my study are as following:

· Basic need

· Loss of job opportunities

· Personal Protective Equipment

· Expensive of primary health requirement

· Impact of migration

· Socio-cultural impact

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Materials:

The study was conducted 200 low income families of slum areas as a sample in Mehsana city.

Methods:

A quantitative research approach was adopted for the study. The research design selected was descriptive research design. The study was conducted in Mehsana city with 200 low income families of slum areas by non probability convenient sampling technique. Data collection conducted after obtaining permission from authority. Check list used to collect data regarding challenges in low income families during COVID-19. Check list tool was validated by different experts.

RESULT:

Findings related to percentage distribution of sample characteristics:

Distribution of respondent in relation to age group (in years) revealed that highest percentage 47.5% of samples was in the age group of 46-55 years. Distribution of respondent in relation to gender revealed that majority of sample 98% were male. Distribution of respondent in relation to marital status revealed that majority of 98% samples was married. Distribution of respondent in relation to educational status revealed that majority of sample 93% had primary level education. Distribution of respondent in relation to occupation revealed that majority of sample 69.5% was labor. Distribution of respondent in relation to type of family revealed that 54.5% samples belong to Joint family. Distribution of respondent in relation to family income (monthly in rupees) revealed that majority of 93.5% sample had belong to ≤ 10,000 Rs. Distribution of respondent in relation to first sources of knowledge regarding COVID-19 information revealed that majority of 81.5% sample belongs to friends/relatives. Distribution of respondent in relation to number of member in family revealed that 43% samples belong to more than 5 members. Distribution of respondent in relation to suffered with COVID-19 revealed that 51% samples of families were not suffered in COVID-19.

Findings related to distribution of the score regarding challenges in low income families during COVID-19:

Analysis of distribution of the challenges in low income families during COVID-19, 6 (3%) families had mild challenges, 27 (13.5%) had moderate challenges and 167 (83.5%) had severe challenges.

Figure: Pie graph is distribution of sample according to level of challenges.

Mean, Mean percentage and Standard deviation score regarding challenges in low income families during COVID-19:

Score

Mean

Percentage

Standard deviation

Challenges

17.31

8.655%

3.965

DISCUSSION:

The present study aims to evaluate the challenges in low income families during COVID-19 in selected slum areas of Mehsana district. The study conducted by using exploratory descriptive research designs. Selected slum areas are there in study sample collection in slum areas of Mehsana district (ramosana slum area, para slum area, modhera slum area, nagalpur slum area, palavasana slum area, ambaji slum area, railway slum area, gandhichok slum area, and different unjha city slum areas). The samples size was 200 low income families. The tools used for the study is check list the response. Were analysed through descriptive (mean, frequency, percentage distribution, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi-square). The findings were computed based on the objective of the study.

CONCLUSION:

Here the study result showed that there are severe challenges in low income families during COVID-19 in slum areas of Mehsana district because the decision of governments restrict peoples movements by lockdown strategy, So the Vulnerable groups are workers in the informal sector, small businesses, migrant workers, refugees, homeless, and others have the highest burden of the pandemic, economical and social impact.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The authors have no conflicts of interest regarding this investigation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

I would like to respectful thanks to my guide Dr. Dayalal D. Patidar-Principal, Dr. Jayesh Patidar-Vice Principal and Research Co-ordinator, and faculty members of Joitiba College of Nursing, for giving me the opportunity to completed study in this institution and constant encouragement, expert guidance, motivation, support, valuable suggestion helped in the best result outcome of this study. I would like to acknowledge the low income families, who have volunteered to be the participants for our study. I extend my sincere thanks to all our family and friends, who had given constant encouragement, support and well wishers for their good wishes for the study.

REFERENCES:

1. Yasmin Jahan and Atiqur Rahman: COVID-19: Challenges and viewpoints from low – and – middle - income Asian countries perspectives, December/ 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395238

2. world health organization: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

3. Lu R, Zhao X: Genomic characterisation and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding, February/2020, 565–574, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673620302518

4. WHO. (2020): Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation REPORT, 14th/April/2020, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200121-sitrep-1-2019-ncov.pdf

5. Dhia Joseph Chackalackal: The Covid-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries, who carries the burden? Review of mass media and publications from six countries, May/2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8079077

6. Geeta Lama: India Covid-19 Survey: Eight in Ten Households ARE Struggling to Meet Their Daily Expenses, Warns Save The Children, 12/August/ 2020 https://www.savethechildren.net/news/india-covid-19-survey-eight-ten-households-ARE-STRUGGLING-meet-their-daily-expenses-warns-save

7. I Clement, basic concepts of community Health Nursing, Second Edition, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD, 2011.

Received on 14.12.2022 Modified on 16.01.2023

A and V Pub J. of Nursing and Medical Res. 2023; 2(2):50-52.

DOI: 10.52711/jnmr.2023.13