The Relationship between Economic Status, Knowledge on Dengue, Risk Perceptions and Practices

Abstract

The reemergence of dengue as an important public health problem reflects the difficulties in sustaining vertically organized, effective, control programs and the need for community-based strategies for Aedes aegypti control that result in behavioral change. We aimed to disentangle the relationships between underlying determinants of dengue related practices. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 780 households in La Lisa, Havana, Cuba. A questionnaire and an observation guide were administrated to collect information on variables related to economic status, knowledge on dengue, risk perception and practices associated with Aedes aegypti breading sites. To test a conceptual model that hypothesized direct relationships among all these constructs, we first used Exploratory Factor Analysis with Principal Component Analysis to establish the relationship between observed variables and the underlying latent variables. Subsequently, we tested whether the observed data supported the conceptual model through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated that the items measured could be reduced into five factors with an eigenvalue >1.0: Knowledge on dengue, Intradomiciliar risk practices, Peridomiciliar risk practices, Risk perception and Economic status. The proportion of the total variance in the data explained by these five factors was 74.3%. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis model differed from our hypothesized conceptual model. Only Knowledge on dengue had a significant, direct, positive, effect on Practices. There was also a direct association of Economic status with Knowledge on dengue, but not with Risk perception and Practices. Clarifying the relationship between direct and indirect determinants of dengue related practices contributes to a better understanding of the potential effect of Information Education and Communication on practices and on the reduction of Aedes aegypti breeding sites and provides inputs for designing a community based strategy for dengue control.

Use of the Health Belief Model for the Assessment of Public Knowledge and Household Preventive Practices in Karachi, Pakistan, a Dengue-Endemic City

“…This is not consistent with the results of a study carried out in Lahore, another dengue-endemic city of Pakistan [20], as well as with a study conducted in the Philippines [15]. Our findings are consistent with the outcome of studies carried out in Malaysia and Cuba [9,21]. We may infer from our findings that public health beliefs have a great impact on dengue preventive practices.…”

Emerging arbovirosis (Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika) in the Southeastern Mexico: influence of social and environmental determinants on knowledge and practices. A mixed method study

“…Reduction of Aedes vector population from the domestic environment is essential to control arboviruses transmission. It is basically achieved through the elimination of any larval habitat, since the domestic and peri-domestic Aedes infestation depends on their presence and quantity [13, 30]. Our findings suggest that social and environmental contexts influence the development of risk behaviors for vector breeding at the household level.…”

“…Interior space was generally compounded by 1 to 2 bedrooms and a common space (for the television set). In the villages, the patio (courtyard) was then a fundamental extension of the house [30]. (These observations are categorized as observed practices in S1).…”

“…In order to evaluate each section of the proposed surveys, we created indices (S1.A File) to score the knowledge and practices in question, as was already designed in several previous studies [26-30]. Questions related to knowledge only allowed a correct answer.…”

Políticas De Saúde E a Percepção Da Dengue Em Paranaíba – Região Do Bolsão Sul Mato-Grossense

“…17 Desta forma se observa que a percepção da dengue muitas vezes não se contrasta com o óbvio. 21,22 Todavia, talvez uma possibilidade para sobrepor este cenário de não adesão, seja a combinação envolvendo o mínimo de saneamento básico, de organização e eficácia do sistema de saúde e de alto nível de participação comunitária 13 vinculada a campanhas criativas desenvolvidas por secretarias de saúde municipais para o controle da dengue. 19 Em relação à preferencia pelo uso do sistema de saúde pública ante ao privado no atendimento para casos da dengue revela a confiança no sistema mesmo quando este atendimento e não realizado por médico, mas por outros profissionais de saúde.…”