Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 10
Now that you have completed this study session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering the questions. Write your answers in your Study Diary and discuss them with your Tutor at the next Study Support Meeting. You can check your answers with the Notes on the Self-Assessment Questions at the end of this Module.
First read Case Study 10.1 and then answer the questions that follow it.
Case Study 10.1 A community survey of conditions leading to diarrhoeal diseases
Aster (the Health Extension Practitioner) was concerned that she was referring a large number of cases of severe diarrhoeal diseases to the nearby health centre. Despite the good access of health services in this community, the average number of visits to the health centre for severe diarrhoeal diseases was two to three times for each household every year. Aster noticed that some community members were using the river and unprotected springs as a source of drinking water. She also noticed the practice of open defecation (passing stools in the open fields) by community members. She decided to investigate why these behaviours were happening.
In October 2009, she trained and deployed volunteer data collectors from the community to conduct a household community survey. She gave them all the same questionnaire, which asked simple questions about access to safe drinking water and access to a latrine. The volunteers questioned people in all the households, wrote down the answers given by the respondents and brought Aster the results. She carefully recorded and analysed the data herself, using the same method for all the questionnaires.
The survey showed that 68% of the households did not have access to a safe water supply, and 25% did not have a latrine near their home. Of the 75% of households who had a latrine, many people were not using it due to the following reasons: they preferred open defecation, they disliked being forced to dig the latrine, and they hated squatting over the hole in the latrine (they described it as ‘like calling death to oneself’). Lack of awareness on the mode of transmission of diarrhoeal diseases from drinking water contaminated with faeces was also identified among the community members.
Based on the findings of her survey, Aster made the following recommendations to the community leaders:
- She planned a health education programme at the community level on:
- Awareness creation on the modes of diarrhoeal disease transmission.
- The importance of handwashing with soap and always using latrines in the control and prevention of diarrhoeal diseases.
- The use of household-level water treatment chemicals available in the local market to prevent transmission.
- Community mobilisation for construction of latrines for the 25% of households without a latrine, using locally available resources.
- Promotion of a policy to stop open defecation in the fields.
SAQ 10.1 (tests Learning Outcomes 10.1 and 10.2)
- a.Is the type of research used in Case Study 10.1 applied or basic?
- b.Is it cross-sectional or longitudinal?
In each case, explain your answers by referring to details of the case study.
Answer
- a.Case Study 10.1 is an example of applied research: it focuses on investigating the causes of a prevailing problem (diarrhoeal diseases) and suggested ways of tackling it.
- b.It is a cross-sectional study which was conducted at one point in time: October 2009.
SAQ 10.2 (tests Learning Outcomes 10.1 and 10.2)
- a.Give two examples of quantitative data collected in the community survey in Case Study 10.1.
- b.Give one example of qualitative data collected in the community survey.
Answer
- a.Two examples of quantitative data collected in the community survey are the numbers and percentage of households without latrines, and the number without access to safe water.
- b.An example of qualitative data collected in the community survey is that it sought explanations for the low utilisation of latrines in terms of people’s feelings and attitudes to latrine use, and discovered that there were cultural and practical barriers.
SAQ 10.3 (tests Learning Outcomes 10.1 and 10.3)
If Aster wanted to follow up the results of her community survey by investigating people’s reasons for not using their latrines, what methods could she use to collect more in-depth qualitative data?
Answer
Aster could interview people identified from the survey as having a latrine, but who are unwilling to use it. She may learn more personal in-depth information in a one-to-one interview about why they prefer open defecation. She could also arrange a focus group discussion between people who do use their latrine and people who don’t, so they can share their views and experiences.
SAQ 10.4 (tests Learning Outcomes 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3)
What features of Aster’s conduct of her community survey show that she was being systematic in her approach to data collection and data analysis?
Answer
Aster’s survey was systematic because she gave the same questionnaire to the volunteer data collectors and trained them all to use it in the same way. When they returned the questionnaire, she recorded and analysed all the results herself, using the same method for all the questionnaires.
Summary of Study Session 10