Effectiveness of posters in enhancement of knowledge about cancer among outpatients and caregivers: A quasi-experimental study

Introduction: Noncommunicable diseases are posing serious public health threats in developed as well as developing countries. Cancer has become one of the leading health problems. The lack of knowledge about cancer in the general public is a major hurdle in its prevention, early detection, and treatment. Out of various media, display of posters is a simple and cost-effective way of mass education. Hence, the effectiveness of posters in imparting knowledge regarding cancer needs to be evaluated. Materials and Methods: After ethical clearance, a quasi-experimental study was undertaken among 314 outpatients and caregivers in waiting area of outpatient department of a tertiary health-care institute. Individuals aged 18 years and above, who could read, write, and understand Marathi language, participated in the study. Written informed consent was obtained. Each of the participants was asked to fill a pretested, structured questionnaire before their entry into display area of posters. Self-paced observation of posters was allowed, after which posttest questionnaire was administered. Totally 255 completely filled forms were considered for analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25.0, and Chi-square values were calculated. Results: Of the 255 participants, 175 (68.6%) were males and 80 (31.3%) were females. The number of correct responses marked increased in posttest as compared to pretest for all 13 items. The difference was found to be statistically highly significant (P ≤ 0.0001) for 9 and significant (P = 0.012, 0.005) for 2 of the total 13 items in the questionnaire. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that posters can be used as an effective tool for health communication regarding cancer among outpatients and caregivers in outpatient department.