Table 15.
Responses of Chitwan National Park buffer zone people to awareness test questions
| SN | a. Traditional belief on snakes (those which are potentially cause snakebites are Italicized) | Responses (% percent, N number of respondents) | Level of awareness | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I believe (N) | I believe (%) | I don’t believe (N) | I don’t believe (%) | I don’t know (N) | Item non–responses (N) | |||
| 1 | All snakes surrounding us are venomous | 2 | 1 | 142 | 95 | 6 | 0 | HA |
| 2 | Snakes can have rebirth | 22 | 15 | 98 | 65 | 30 | 0 | A |
| 3 | Snakes can hypnotize | 15 | 10 | 96 | 64 | 39 | 0 | A |
| 4 | View of snake on the way/journey bode good future | 34 | 23 | 92 | 61 | 24 | 0 | A |
| 5 | After bites, snakes go to tree-top to view victim’s funeral | 7 | 5 | 91 | 61 | 52 | 0 | A |
| 6 | Snakes eyes can photograph to take revenge | 43 | 29 | 86 | 57 | 21 | 0 | A |
| 7 | Kill partner of snake to avoid revenge of survived ones | 59 | 39 | 72 | 48 | 19 | 0 | MA |
| 8 | Snakes possess invaluable stone ‘Mani’ | 53 | 35 | 63 | 42 | 34 | 0 | MA |
| 9 | Snakes can suckle milk from cows, goats, or sheep | 57 | 38 | 62 | 41 | 30 | 1 | MA |
| 10 | Some snakes guard the property of people | 59 | 39 | 61 | 41 | 30 | 0 | MA |
| 11 | Vine snakes bite only on eye or forehead | 55 | 37 | 58 | 39 | 37 | 0 | MA |
| 12 | There are two-mouthed snakes | 40 | 27 | 49 | 33 | 61 | 0 | MA |
| 13 | Snakes (e.g., cobras) can dance in tune of music | 82 | 55 | 39 | 26 | 29 | 0 | MA |
| b. Traditional belief on pre-hospital care | ||||||||
| 1 | Visiting traditional healers | 18 | 12 | 128 | 85 | 2 | 2 | HA |
| 2 | Sucking wound | 34 | 23 | 108 | 72 | 5 | 3 | A |
| 3 | Applying other traditional concoction topically | 25 | 17 | 90 | 60 | 31 | 4 | A |
| 4 | Squeezing the wound | 47 | 31 | 88 | 59 | 13 | 2 | A |
| 5 | Ingesting other traditional concoction | 32 | 21 | 85 | 57 | 27 | 6 | A |
| 6 | Applying the cloaca of chickens | 28 | 19 | 82 | 55 | 34 | 6 | A |
| 7 | Ingesting chillies | 45 | 30 | 82 | 55 | 19 | 4 | A |
| 8 | Applying honey on the site of bite | 20 | 13 | 76 | 51 | 49 | 5 | A |
| 9 | Incising bite site | 62 | 41 | 74 | 49 | 12 | 2 | MA |
| 10 | Ingesting herbal medicine | 40 | 27 | 74 | 49 | 31 | 5 | MA |
| 11 | Applying herbal medicine topically | 43 | 29 | 72 | 48 | 31 | 4 | MA |
| 12 | Using snake stone | 47 | 31 | 63 | 42 | 36 | 4 | MA |
| 13 | Applying (tight) tourniquet | 95 | 63 | 48 | 32 | 4 | 3 | MA |
| c. Seeking medical help of doubtful use | ||||||||
| 1 | Visiting medical person | 133 | 89 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | UA |
| 2 | Visiting any hospital or healthcare centre | 141 | 94 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | UA |
| d. Recommended measures of pre-hospital care | ||||||||
| 1 | Visiting healthcare facilities supplied with antivenom | 142 | 95 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | HA |
| 2 | Envenomation can be cured by antivenom | 132 | 88 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 3 | HA |
| 3 | Availability of nearby snakebite treatment centre | 125 | 83 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 0 | HA |
| 4 | Pressure immobilization bandaging (PIB) | 92 | 61 | 40 | 27 | 12 | 6 | A |
| 5 | Local compression pad immobilization (LCPI) | 77 | 51 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 9 | A |
Awareness level: UA unaware (0–24 %), MA slightly aware (25–49 %), A aware (50–74 %), HA highly aware (75–100 %)