Cross-sectional study of dengue-related knowledge, attitudes and practices in Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru

Societal knowledge, attitude, and practices towards dengue and associated factors in epidemic-hit areas: Geoinformation assisted empirical evidence

Dengue is one of Pakistan's major health concerns. In this study, we aimed to advance our understanding of the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) in Pakistan's Dengue Fever (DF) hotspots. Initially, at-risk communities were systematically identified via a well-known spatial modeling technique, named, Kernel Density Estimation, which was later targeted for a household-based cross-sectional survey of KAPs. To collect data on sociodemographic and KAPs, random sampling was utilized (n = 385, 5 % margin of error). Later, the association of different demographics (characteristics), knowledge, and attitude factors-potentially related to poor preventive practices was assessed using bivariate (individual) and multivariable (model) logistic regression analyses. Most respondents (>90 %) identified fever as a sign of DF; headache (73.8 %), joint pain (64.4 %), muscular pain (50.9 %), pain behind the eyes (41.8 %), bleeding (34.3 %), and skin rash (36.1 %) were identified relatively less. Regression results showed significant associations of poor knowledge/attitude with poor preventive practices; dengue vector (odds ratio [OR] = 3.733, 95 % confidence interval [CI ] = 2.377-5.861; P < 0.001), DF symptoms (OR = 3.088, 95 % CI = 1.949-4.894; P < 0.001), dengue transmission (OR = 1.933, 95 % CI = 1.265-2.956; P = 0.002), and attitude (OR = 3.813, 95 % CI = 1.548-9.395; P = 0.004). Moreover, education level was stronger in bivariate analysis and the strongest independent factor of poor preventive practices in multivariable analysis (illiterate: adjusted OR = 6.833, 95 % CI = 2.979-15.672; P < 0.001) and primary education (adjusted OR = 4.046, 95 % CI = 1.997-8.199; P < 0.001). This situation highlights knowledge gaps within urban communities, particularly in understanding dengue transmission and signs/symptoms. The level of education in urban communities also plays a substantial role in dengue control, as observed in this study, where poor preventive practices were more prevalent among illiterate and less educated respondents.

Attitude towards dengue control efforts with the potential of digital technology during COVID-19: partial least squares-structural equation modeling

Background: Dengue fever is still a public health issue in Indonesia, and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, integrated digital technology will be required for its control. This study aims to identify critical indicators influencing attitudes towards dengue control related to the potential for implementing digital technology. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey, with 515 people willing to fill out an online questionnaire. The analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). There were 46 indicators used to assess attitudes toward dengue control, which were organized into six variables: the need for digital information systems, perceptions of being threatened with dengue, the benefits of dengue control programs, program constraints, environmental factors and attitudes in dengue control. Results:  The source of information needed for dengue control was mainly through social media. There was a positive relationship between perception of environmental factors to perception of dengue threat, perception of program constraints, perception of program benefits, and perception of digital technology needs. Perception of program benefits and threatened perception of dengue have a positive relationship with perception of digital technology needs. Conclusions: This model showed the variables perception of digital technology and perception of benefits had a positive association with attitude towards dengue control.

Sociodemographic factors associated to knowledge and attitudes towards dengue prevention among the Peruvian population: findings from a national survey

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the frequency of knowledge and attitudes towards dengue prevention among the Peruvian population, as well as the sociodemographic factors associated with reported knowledge and attitude outcomes.

DESIGN/SETTING

A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on information from the National Survey of Budget Programs of Peru, 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

We included 57 829 respondents with a mean age of 40.3±17.4 years, of whom 52.8% were women and 87.6% were from urban areas.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES

Knowledge about dengue infection (transmission, symptoms, importance of going to a health centre and not self-medicating) and preventive attitudes to avoid infection.

RESULTS

Of all the respondents, 36.2% (n=23 247) presented good knowledge about dengue and 11.6% (n=7890) had a higher number of preventive attitudes (≥3 attitudes). In the multivariate regression analysis, we found that being female (for knowledge: aPR (adjusted prevalence ratio): 1.03; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02), being married/cohabiting (for knowledge: aPR: 1.02; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03; and for attitude: aPR: 1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02) and residing in the jungle (for knowledge: aPR: 1.14; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.16; and for attitude: aPR: 1.09; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.11) were associated with better knowledge and more preventive attitudes. In addition, we found that being an adolescent (for knowledge: aPR: 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99; and for attitude: aPR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), and belonging to the Quechua ethnic group (for knowledge: aPR: 0.93; 95% CI 0.91 to 0.94; and for attitude: aPR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99) were associated with a lower proportion of adequate knowledge and fewer preventive attitudes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found a high proportion of poor knowledge and few preventive attitudes towards dengue in the Peruvian population. That highlights the requirement to implement national strategies to educate people about dengue and promote preventive attitudes, considering the factors found.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of the community toward dengue fever in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen: a descriptive study

BACKGROUND

In Yemen, dengue fever (DF) is a widespread, locally endemic infectious disease, with high morbidity and mortality which mainly affects impoverished regions. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the Shabwah community in Yemen regarding DF characteristics and prevention.

METHODS

The present study is a cross-sectional community-based study conducted in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen, between June 2021 and November 2021. Simple random sampling was used to select the sample (n = 370), and a validated closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data.

RESULTS

In total, 370 individuals participated in this study; most respondents were female (N = 247, 66.8%), and more than half (N = 214, 57.8%) were younger than age 30. More than 50% of the population had completed a primary or secondary school, while approximately 33.03% of them were illiterate. Furthermore, more than half (53.5%) of the population had good knowledge of DF, while most of those educated at a university level (64.1%) had good attitude toward DF. Most of the population (68.4%) had good practice toward DF. Moreover, participants with a university level education, followed by those who completed secondary school, had significantly higher knowledge and practice scores than primary school and illiteracy (P = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results of the study indicate that the residents of Yemen's Shabwah Governorate are well-informed about the symptoms and signs of DF, have a positive attitude toward the disease, and employ appropriate preventive measures. Health education via various media should be mandated to increase community awareness and dispel misconceptions about DF.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards mosquito control and used vehicle tire dumping by median household income, in metropolitan New Orleans, Louisiana

Background

Discarded vehicle tires are an important artificial habitat for the larvae of many container-breeding mosquito species worldwide, including in the United States. Unmanaged discarded vehicle tires create health, environmental and social costs, and with budget and staffing constraints, effective management of discarded used vehicle tires a mosquito larval habitat depends in part on the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of community residents.

Objectives

This study aims to examine the knowledge, attitude and practices of New Orleans, Louisiana residents toward illegally discarded vehicle tires, and larval mosquito control.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional design study was used where 422 households were selected using a two-stage cluster random sampling procedure in New Orleans, Louisiana. Heads of households or a person aged 18 years or older self-administered the survey. The questionnaire comprised five parts: screening, tire sightings, preferred communication method, knowledge, attitude and precautionary measures against mosquito control, disease risk and illegal discarding. We then statistically compared above and below median income household responses to identify likely causes of detected differences. The data were analyzed using ordinal regression models via IBM SPSS statistics V.26.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

Out of 290 responding households, 95.5% strongly agree or agree that mosquitoes can spread serious diseases like West Nile, Zika or Dengue. Only 2.3% of the sample had high knowledge of illegally discarded tires dumping and mosquito larval control. Those employed were 1.0 times more likely to possess good knowledge than the unemployed (p < 0.001). Despite low knowledge levels regarding mosquito breeding and polluted water in discarded tires, 29.9% of respondents had positive attitude and 20.5% reported sufficient practices. Among the socio-demographic variables, only home ownership and being employed were predictors of knowledge and attitude towards mosquito breeding in illegally discarded tires (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Despite the observed increasing number of illegally discarded vehicle tires in New Orleans, the knowledge of people about illegal tire dumping and their associated risk factors as suitable larval habitants was low. Therefore, there is a need for developing community-based and place-based tailored sensitization campaigns to prevent illegal used tire dumping, and larval control.

A cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitude, and practices toward dengue fever among health workers in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto state, Nigeria

Introduction:

Dengue fever (DF) has become a disease of public health concern. It is a mosquito-borne virus infection caused by one of the four serotypes of the dengue virus, and the disease is prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a global burden in the Americas. Yearly, about 390 million cases of new infection are estimated to occur.

Aims of the Study:

This study was aimed atdetermining the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding dengue fever amongst health workers in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto state , Nigeria.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, among 367 health-care workers who had worked in the hospital for at least 1 year before the study were selected using a systematic sampling method. Data were collected by trained resident doctors using a standardized, pretested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20 with a significance set at P > 0.05.

Results:

There was high awareness (95.1%) among the respondents, with seminars and lectures in school as the most familiar information sources. A more significant proportion, 87.8%, 93.2%, and 76.6%, of the respondents had adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and appropriate DF practice, respectively. Nurses and laboratory scientists had higher practice scores compared to other health-care workers (P = 0.016).

Conclusion:

Capacity building of health-care workers, especially the primary care physicians on surveillance, proper diagnosis, and treatment, is needed to avoid missing cases or misdiagnosis of cases, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries with limited health resources care service delivery.

A Household-Based Survey to Understand Factors Influencing Awareness, Attitudes and Knowledge towards Wolbachia-Aedes Technology

In 2016, Singapore introduced the release of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes to complement vector control efforts and suppress Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in selected study sites. With ongoing expansion of Project Wolbachia-Singapore to cover larger areas, a household-based survey was conducted between July 2019 to February 2020 in two Project Wolbachia study sites using a structured questionnaire, to evaluate current sentiments and assess the need for enhanced public messaging and engagement. The association of factors that influence awareness, attitudes, and knowledge towards the use of Wolbachia-Aedes technology was analysed using Pearson's Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Of 500 respondents, 74.8% were aware of Project Wolbachia-Singapore. Comparatively, the level of knowledge on Wolbachia-Aedes technology was lower, suggesting knowledge gaps that require enhanced communication and messaging to address misinformation. Longer exposure to the project predicted greater awareness, whereas higher education levels predicted higher knowledge levels. Younger age groups and higher education levels were associated with high acceptance towards the project. High levels of trust and acceptance towards the project were also observed across the population. The public's positive perception of the project is a testament to the effective public communication undertaken to date and will facilitate programme expansion.