INTRODUCTION:

Among the most common illnesses that affect people globally, regardless of age or socioeconomic background, are the common cold and cough. These upper respiratory tract infections frequently result in discomfort, decreased productivity, and higher medical costs. While several pharmacological therapies are available, a large section of the population particularly those in resource-limited and community settings depend on home cures to alleviate symptoms. A variety of conventional and culturally recognized treatments, including herbal teas, steam inhalation, honey, and other natural ingredients thought to alleviate the symptoms of colds and coughs, are included in these remedies.¹

Women are essential to the management of family health, particularly those who live in communal settings. When a family member becomes unwell, women are frequently the first to respond and function as the primary caregiver in many cultures. Health results are greatly impacted by their understanding of and use of home remedies, especially in areas with limited access to medical facilities and prescription drugs. However, depending on a variety of circumstances, including exposure to health education, cultural attitudes, and educational background, the degree and accuracy of this knowledge can vary greatly.¹

The structured educational interventions known as planned teaching programs are designed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors pertaining to certain health conditions. These initiatives are crucial resources for encouraging people and communities to take up healthier habits. Implementing a targeted education program aimed at women in the community can help them better understand safe, evidence-based self-care practices, dispel myths, and improve their knowledge of effective home remedies for cough and cold treatment.¹

Few studies have explicitly examined women's knowledge of home remedies for cold and cough in community settings, despite the fact that many highlight the importance of health education in enhancing community knowledge and encouraging healthy behaviours. To find out how these teaching programs affect women's knowledge and their advocacy of safe and efficient home care, it is essential to assess their efficacy. By evaluating the impact of a planned educational program on women's awareness about natural cures for colds and coughs in a chosen community, this study aims to close this knowledge gap.²

Need for the study:

Cough and cold are examples of respiratory diseases that continue to be a major global health burden, especially in underdeveloped nations where access to treatment is frequently restricted. Acute respiratory infections are one of the world's major causes of illness and mortality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and they particularly impact vulnerable groups including the elderly and children. Even though the majority of cough and cold cases resolve on their own, poor treatment can lead to complications, prolonged sickness, and the overuse of antibiotics, all of which exacerbate the issue of antimicrobial resistance.³

In many communal contexts, women are the primary caretakers in charge of overseeing their families' health. Their expertise, cultural attitudes, and access to health information all have a significant role in the treatment decisions they make. Due to its affordability, accessibility, and cultural acceptance, home remedies are frequently used as the initial line of therapy for mild illnesses like colds and coughs. Though some of these methods may be dangerous or ineffectual, there is a great deal of variance in women's knowledge and implementation of these therapies.⁴

Standardized, evidence-based information about the safe and efficient use of home remedies is frequently unavailable, despite their widespread use. Inappropriate cures may be used due to misconceptions and traditional beliefs, which could postpone medical consultation or have a negative impact on health. Therefore, educational initiatives that give women accurate, scientifically supported information regarding home treatments for colds and coughs are desperately needed.⁵

In a variety of contexts, planned educational initiatives have proven successful in raising awareness and encouraging healthy habits. These kinds of training programs enable women to take better care of themselves, make more educated health decisions, and ultimately help themselves and their family live healthier lives. However, little study has been done expressly to assess how these programs affect women's understanding of cough and cold medicines at home in communal settings.⁶

Assessing a planned teaching program's efficacy in this area will provide important information on how education may dispel myths, advance understanding, and promote the use of secure and efficient home cures. It will also assist in identifying current knowledge gaps and highlighting areas that require additional study.⁷

Additionally, this study backs global health goals that highlight health promotion and community-based treatments as economical ways to lessen the burden of common illnesses. The intervention's focus on women as primary caregivers may have a cascading impact, improving health literacy in homes and the community at large.⁷

Statement of the problem:

To assess the effect of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding home remedies for the treatment of cough and cold among women in a selected area of Mumbai.

objectives of the study:

PRIMARY:

To assess the effect of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding home remedies for the treatment of cough and cold among women in a selected community area.

SECONDARY:

1. To evaluate the effectiveness of the planned teaching program by comparing pre-test and post-test knowledge scores.

2. To associate the pre-test knowledge scores with selected demographic variables such as age, education, occupation, and previous knowledge about home remedies.

HYPOTHESIS:

H₀₁: There will be no significant change in knowledge score of women regarding home remedies for cough and cold after planned teaching.

H₁: There will be significant change in knowledge score of women regarding home remedies for cough and cold after planned teaching.

H₀₂: There will be no significant association in the pre-test knowledge scores with selected demographic variables such as age, education, occupation, and previous knowledge about home remedies.

H₂: There will be significant association in the pre-test knowledge scores with selected demographic variables such as age, education, occupation, and previous knowledge about home remedies.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS:

· Effect:

According to oxford dictionary, effect means “the result or outcome of change produced by an action”

In this study effect means change produced by planned teaching program on knowledge of women regarding home remedies for cold and cough assessed by difference between pre-test and post-test score using a structured questionnaire.

· Planned Teaching Program:

According to oxford dictionary, planned teaching programme means “an organized method of instruction”.

In this study, planned teaching programme refers to information given to women regarding home remedies using prepared teaching plan on selected aspects.

· Knowledge:

According to Oxford Dictionary, knowledge means “state of being aware or of informed”

In this study, knowledge is considered as the information of the, women regarding home remedies for the treatment of cold and cough that will be assessed using a structured questionnaire.it is measured by difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores.

Home Remedies:

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a home remedy means “a treatment for a condition or ailment that is made using substances found at home, not prescribed or supervised by a professional, and is not necessarily proven to be effective”

In this study home remedies means Traditional or natural treatments used at home for relieving symptoms of cough and cold without medical prescriptions.

· Women:

According to the Oxford Dictionary woman means “as an adult female human”.

In this study women means Female individuals aged between 18–60 years residing in the selected community area and willing to participate in the study.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Women's current knowledge of home treatments for colds and coughs has been described in this study using a descriptive methodology. The investigator has been able to determine the impact of a structured teaching program on women's knowledge of home treatments for colds and coughs thanks to the evaluative technique. In this study, a single group pre-test post-test design was used. Women living in urban areas participated in the study. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to choose 50 women.

VALIDITY:

Eight nursing professionals from the field of community health nursing, one statistician, and two community medicine specialists completed the tool's content validity. The specialists' recommendations and opinions were taken into consideration, and the appropriate adjustments were made.

RELIABILITY:

The reliability of the questionnaire was established using the test-retest method and split half method. The reliability was calculated by spearman’s rank correlation formula. A high correlation coefficient o r = 0.850 was obtained indicating the tool was reliable.

SETTING OF THE STUDY:

Setting is defined as the physical location and conditions in which data collection takes place

The study was conducted in selected urban areas of Mumbai. The area is situated under Thane district. Cough and cold are very common among the children and adults during the monsoon and winter season. Women are the best people to impart knowledge to the family members

POPULATION:

The term "population" refers to the whole group of people (or things) who share certain traits. The population is the total group to whom the study's findings are applied. All of the women who live in the chosen community area make up the population of this study.

TARGET POPULATION:

The total number of cases that the researcher want to generalize about is known as the target population. the full population that the researcher was interested in and wanted to apply the research findings to. Women between the ages of 18 and 60 who lived in the chosen community area and who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria made up the study's target group.

ACCESSIBLE POPULATION:

The total number of cases that meet specific requirements and are available as study subjects is known as the accessible population. Women between the ages of 18 and 60 who were available and willing to participate during the data collecting period made up the accessible population for this study.

SAMPLE:

A sample is a subset of the population, typically a relatively small number of people chosen to be somewhat representative of the population. Women who met the inclusion criteria and were chosen from the accessible population made up the sample for this study.

SAMPLE SIZE:

Sample size consisted of 50 women form the urban areas of Mumbai.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:

Sampling refers to the process of selecting a portion of the population to represent the entire population. Sample is a subset of population of interest, selected for participation in this study.

A crucial phase in the study process is the sampling technique. In research, it is the process of choosing representative units or subgroups of the population under study. To choose the sample, a suitable non-probability sampling technique was employed. Non-probability convenient sampling involves choosing the most accessible people to participate in the research. It depicts a typical situation, and study findings regarding his population and its constituents can be utilized to manually select examples. The researcher chose the female samples from a particular urban location.

FINDING OF THE STUDY:

· There was progress following the instruction program, as evidenced by the mean pre-test knowledge score being much lower than the mean post-test knowledge score.

· The pre-test and post-test scores differed statistically significantly (p < 0.05) according to the paired t-test.

· On the pre-test, most participants' knowledge was rated as moderate to inadequate.

· The majority of participants obtained sufficient information, according to the post-test findings.

· Demographic factors like age, education, and occupation did not significantly correlate with knowledge results.

· Statistically significant differences in mean knowledge increase across groups are shown by a p-value < 0.05.

· Participants with varying levels of education benefited in diverse ways, as seen by the substantial effect of education on mean knowledge gain (F=8.52, p=0.0005).

· There was no discernible variation in the mean knowledge gain across the other factors (age, occupation, and income).

RECOMMENDATIONS:

· Similar research can be carried out in various contexts and with a bigger sample size.

· To evaluate the efficacy of alternative teaching modalities, such as self-instructional modules or information booklets on the same subject, a comparative study might be conducted.

· The similar study might be conducted among rural residents to gauge their familiarity with natural cures for cough and cold.

· A control group might be used for the same investigation.

· Other common illnesses and target groups can be included in educational initiatives.

· Including instruction on home remedies in community health initiatives.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

For the investigator, the current study has been a rewarding educational experience. The researcher had the opportunity to observe all stages of the research process personally and was able to secure the cooperation of all the ladies in the study as well as the villagers. The entire study was a rich and diverse learning experience that helped the researcher hone her ability to work with a variety of personalities. The guide's prompt assistance and direction allowed the researcher to get beyond all of the early challenges and finish the study.

CONCLUTION:

This study has aided in evaluating women's knowledge of home remedies for cold and cough therapy in a particular community region. According to the study, it is crucial to have a consistent health education program so that women can increase their knowledge and share it with their neighbours and family. Women's understanding of natural cures for colds and coughs was improved by the prearranged educational session. For minor health conditions, health education is essential in enabling communities to adopt safe and efficient traditional medicines. Every participant said that they were really eager to take part in the study. Overall, the entire study was carried out smoothly and gave a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.

REFERENCE:

1. Saikumar Reddy, Management of Common Ailments Using Home Remedies 2021 available from https://health.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/health/ayush/iec-material-for-frontline-workers

2. Percis. S, A Descriptive study to assess the practice of home remedies for common cold among the mothers of under five children in selected rural area 2020 available from https://ijneronline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2020-8-4-16

3. Antje Hader, Nilay Köse et al Respiratory Infections in the Aging Lung: Implications for Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prevention 2023 available from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10389836/

4. Rakgadi Grace, Malapela Gloria, Thupayagale et al, Use of home remedies for the treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease: An integrative review

5. Martins Ekor, The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety 2014 available from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3887317.

6. Henry Ford, Home Remedies: The Good And the Bad 2020 available from https://www.henryford.com/blog/2020/07/home-remedies-the-good-and-the-bad.

7. Jeffrey L Jackson, Amy Farkas et al, Does Provider Gender Affect the Quality of Primary Care?2020 available from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7352031

Received on 26.09.2025 Revised on 23.10.2025

Accepted on 12.11.2025 Published on 23.02.2026

Available online from February 28, 2026

Int. J. of Advances in Nursing Management. 2026;14(1):39-43.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2026.00009

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