A Knowledge,Attitude and Practices (KAP) Study on Dengue among Selected Rural Communities in the Kuala Kangsar District

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practices concerning dengue and its vector Aedes mosquito among selected rural communities in the Kuala Kangsar district from 16 - 25th June, 2002. It was found that the knowledge of the community was good. Out of the 200 respondents, 82.0% cited that their main source of information on dengue was from television / radio. The respondents' attitude was found to be good and most of them were supportive of Aedes control measures. There is a significant association found between knowledge of dengue and attitude towards Aedes control (p = 0.047). It was also found that good knowledge does not necessarily lead to good practice. This is most likely due to certain practices like water storage for domestic use, which is deeply ingrained in the community. Mass media is an important means of conveying health messages to the public even among the rural population, thus research and development of educational strategies designed to improve behaviour and practice of effective control measures among the villagers are recommended. Asia Pac JPublic Health 2003; 15(1): 37- 43 .

Keywords

Dengue dengue haemorrhagic fever Aedes.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Lam SK Dengue haemorrhagic fever. Rev Med Microb 1995; 6 (1): 39-48.

Pang T. , Lam Ksk. The immunopathogenesis of dengue haemorrhagic fever. Immunol Today 1983; 4(2): 46-9.

Lam SK Two decades of dengue in Malaysia. Trop Med 1993; 35 (4): 195-200.

Srivastava VK , Suri S. , Bhasin A. , et al. An epidemic of Dengue haemorrhagic fever and Dengue shock syndrome in Delhi: a clinical study. Ann Trop Paediatr 1990; 10: 329-34.

Vitarana T. Dengue haemorhagic fever. Ceylon Med J 1990 ; 35 (3): 83-7.

Poovaneswari S.

Dengue situation in Malaysia. Malaysian

J Pathol 1993; 15 (1): 3-7.

George R. , Lam SK Dengue virus infection- the Malaysian experience. Ann Acad Med Singapore 1997; 26: 815-9.

Lam SK Dengue vaccines. 1st International Congress of Parasitology and Trop Med 1994: 46-7.

Yong BH

Critical care aspects of Dengue haemorrhagic fever / Dengue shock syndrome. Malaysian

J Pathol 1993; 15 (1): 35-9.

10.

Lum Lcs.

Management of Dengue haemorrhagic fever / Dengue shock syndrome. Malaysian

J Pathol 1993; 15 (1): 29-33.

11.

Who. Guide on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) (2nd Edition, 1997).

12.

Ministry of Health. Vector-borne diseases control programme 6th Malaysia Plan (1991-5).

13.

Ministry of Health. Annual Report Ministry of Health, Malaysia, 1999.

14.

Ministry of Health. Annual Report 2001, District Health Office, Kuala Kangsar, Perak Darul Ridzuan. 2001.

15.

Dobbins JG , Elsie JG Knowledge, attitude and practices related to control of dengue haemorrhagic fever in an urban Malay village/kampung. The SEA J of Trop Med and Public Health 1975; 6 (1): 120-6.

16.

Ayyamani UD , Gan CY , Ooi GS A Knowledge, attitude and Practice (KAP) study on dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever and the Aedes mosquito. Med J Malaysia 1986; 41 (2): 108-15.

17.

Assistant Medical Officer of Health of Kuala Kangsar. A Personal communication. 2002.

18.

Lam SK Strategies for Dengue Control in Malaysia. Trop Med 1993; 35 (4): 303-7.

19.

Tham AS Problems and solutions in vector control. Malaysian J Pathol 1993; 15 (1): 13-9.

20.

Sherri Sheinfeld Gorin. Health promotion handbook. Mosby Publications, 1997.

21.

Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Buku Panduan Program Bebas Denggi di Sekolah 2001.