KNOWLEDGE REGARDING ALCOHOLISM AND ITS ILL EFFECTS AMONG FINAL YEAR DMLT (DIPLOMA IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY) STUDENTS IN A SELECTED COLLEGE OF PARAMEDICAL SCIENCES

Background of the study: Alcoholism is a disease in which an individual has an intense urge to ingest alcoholic beverages and causes personal and social deteriorations. It disrupts the entire life of the alcoholic and the areas of life of everyone associated with him. Awareness regarding the dangers posed by alcohol helps the younger generation to prevent it. Aim: To determine the level of knowledge regarding alcoholism and its ill effects among final year DMLT (Diploma in Medical Technology) students and to associate the knowledge level with baseline proforma. Methods and materials: A quantitative research design was adopted. This non-experimental descriptive study was conducted in St. John’s College of Paramedical Sciences in Idukki, Kerala. Thirty final year DMLT students were included in the study by using convenient sampling technique. A self-structured knowledge questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge on alcoholism and its ill effects. Results: Majority of students (83.3%) scored moderate level of knowledge, 10% of them had adequate knowledge level and 6.7% of the participants had inadequate knowledge on alcoholism.