Scabies Mainly Affects Underprivileged Lot Of Population

Research Proposal
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Research Proposal
Introduction and Background of the Study
Currently, the world seems to be preoccupied with issues such as the tension between the U.S. and North Korea while some are still in shock after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. Renowned organizations charged with overseeing issues of health globally seem to always overlook scabies despite its increased rate of morbidity. First of all, scabies is a skin disease that is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis (Engelman, 1). Scabies is not widely known, mainly due to the lack of proper propagation channels and therefore, more people become victims because of ignorance. Currently, almost all attentions is dedicated towards big-name diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Therefore, efforts to spread information regarding scabies or to even sensitize the public about the same seem sluggish and without purpose. However, researchers such as Engelman et al. (1) contend that “coordinated, global efforts to control this ubiquitous pathogenic mite are both important and achievable.”
In the developed countries, the rate of infection is lower than in the developing countries mainly because scabies affects “particularly the most vulnerable sectors of society” (Engelman, 1). Engelman and his colleagues (2013) continue to state that “children in developing countries are most susceptible, with an average prevalence of 5-10%” (1). This is quite a high infection rate which deserves a higher degree of response, but apparently, it has not been forthcoming. According to Johnston (2005), scabies is highly contagious and is often spread through direct contact with skin. However, he continues to state that while it can also be spread through clothes and bedding, fewer cases of the same have been reported. Infestation of scabies customarily occurs after a pregnant female mite manages to burrow into the victim’s skin and ultimately lays eggs. If not detected early and contained, Johnston warns that the larvae often emerges soon after and digs new burrows. Once they mature, they mate and continue the same cycle thus spreading to other parts of the body.
As already stated, scabies mainly affects the underprivileged lot of the population mainly because it thrives in overcrowded and poverty-stricken areas. Engelman et al. (2013) note that “scabies causes intense itch, severely affecting sleep and quality of life” (1). While itching can be disregarded as normal at times, with prior information of the signs and symptoms of this malaise, it will be easier for people to confront it or seek medical attention once they suspect they have acquired it. Making the world understand the importance of sensitizing people about this condition has proven to be quite hard and nothing has been done yet to effect change. However, with an estimated 300 million cases of morbidity annually on the global scale, it is crucial to consider the significance of scabies as a burden on the global health resources. Johnston (2005) notes that scabies is a significant burden and one that needs to be addressed as such.
At the forefront of any fight to curb the effects of a disease are the nurses but as already stated, there is limited information regarding scabies, and hence a majority of them do not have the necessary information regarding this malaise. Scabies is commonly associated with reinfections and therefore, it is crucial that nurses are educated on the best ways to ensure there are no reinfections after patients have gone through treatment. The above will, of course, enhance the outcome of the patient and also ensure that the disease is managed optimally. This study tries to establish the significance of having the CAN trained on the various interventions that they can use to control the disease and ensure that they have reduced the rate of reinfection to the bare minimum. The above is established against the backdrop of nurses who are not trained on the best interventions to help reduce reinfections. However, the latter lot is given pamphlets with information about scabies to read.
Statement of the Problem
The widespread ignorance of scabies as a global epidemic is worrying. Currently, there are neither enough studies on this disease nor enough resources dedicated to dealing with it. Information regarding it is also scarce and difficult to come by which means that even medical practitioners are disadvantaged. Information is indeed essential in the fight against any disease, but with scabies, medical practitioners are yet to know for sure what sort of training is required to curb it. Essentially, a majority of them have been treating it and offering advice without any training but only the limited information they could gather on the internet.
It is apparent that scabies deserves more attention than it gets presently. In this proposal, therefore, the effectiveness of training CNAs about scabies and reducing its rate of reinfection is tested in comparison to CNAs who have not received any training but have had access to pamphlets that shallowly discuss scabies.
Purpose of the Study with Objectives
The overall purpose of this study will be to determine the effectiveness of training CANs on scabies and reducing its rate of reinfection compared to having CANs with limited information on scabies. The truth is, there is an information deficit with regards to scabies, and therefore, it is not clear whether the training offered will help or nurses will exhibit the same kind of behavior even without the training. The objectives of this study will, therefore, be the following:
- To establish the effectiveness of training CANs on scabies.
- To determine accessibility and availability of information regarding scabies.
- To compare the behavior of trained and untrained CANs when both are confronted with scabies patients.
Research Questions
1 How effective is it to train CANs about scabies and the ways of reducing its reinfection?
2 How available or not and how easy or hard to access information about scabies?
3 How do trained CANs behavior compare to those of the untrained when both are confronted with scabies patients?
Theoretical Framework
Access to the right information is key to the identification, treatment as well as maintenance of some diseases, and scabies is one among many. However, with the world preoccupied with other ‘important’ issues, a significant portion of the world is unaware of the effects of scabies. Researchers Mahe et al. (2005) and Engelman et al. (2013) agree that there less attention has been directed towards scabies despite a morbidity rate of over 300 million annually. Health authorities continually ignore the severity of diseases such as scabies and Mahe et al. (2005) adds that “specific recommendations for rational control measures are lacking.” It is no major surprise to realize that nurses and other medical practitioners are also not taking scabies seriously. Currently, the malaise has a higher rate of reinfection, and this mainly falls back to the lack of proper treatment and follow-up measures that nurses employ.
It is crucial to also note that a significant number of nurses are also just as ignorant of scabies as the general public. With the world paying attention to other issues, it has become increasingly hard for nurses to acquire any relevant information that pertains to the correct diagnosis, treatment, and reinfection prevention measures. It is also difficult to assess the proposed training methods because there is simply not enough data to back any claims one can make. The above necessitates the need for a study to evaluate the need for training nurses on scabies against the backdrop of nurses who have little to no knowledge of scabies.
A comparative study is thus necessary and forms the basis of this research.. The end goal here will be to determine whether there are major differences in how nurses behave or how they approach scabies patients and the rate of reinfection of the disease when a patient seeks treatment from a trained and an untrained nurse with limited information about scabies. This entire research will, therefore, be based on the backdrop that there is limited attention as well as information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of reinfection of scabies.
Definitions of Key Terms
* Scabies – a ...