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A Comparative Study on Dengue-related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Hotspot and Non-Hotspot Areas in Selangor

Siti Nor Izani Mustapha, Shamarina Shohaimi, Mohd Bakri Adam, Meenakshii Nallappan, Abdul Hafiz Ab Rahman and Nader Salari

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 31, Issue 1, January 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.31.1.26

Keywords: Attitude, dengue, hotspot area, knowledge, practice, Selangor

Published on: 3 January 2023

Dengue fever is a deadly vector-borne disease. Prevention strategies without specific drugs or vaccines emphasise community involvement in dengue vector control. Identifying dengue-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours is critical to developing more effective intervention strategies. A cross-sectional study compared the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on dengue in selected dengue hotspots and non-hotspot areas in Selangor, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 320 randomly selected residents. Data were analysed using an independent t-test and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. Despite having a good understanding of the dengue virus, most respondents (83.1%) from both hotspot and non-hotspot areas were unaware that a person could be infected with the virus more than once in their lifetime, and 62.8% agreed that dengue patients could recover without treatment. Most respondents (76.9%) agreed that buying mosquito repellent is a waste of money, and most reported not sleeping under the insecticide net at night (74.7%). Respondents from dengue hotspot areas had significantly higher attitude scores (32.00±4.60) compared to those of non-hotspot regions (28.78±5.51), t (307) = 5.674, p<0.05. There was a significant positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (rs=0.214, p<0.01), between knowledge and practices (rs=0.563, p<0.01), and attitude and practices (rs=0.374, p<0.01). In addition to the high levels of knowledge and practice, attitudes toward dengue must be improved to implement proper prevention measures.

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ISSN 0128-7680

e-ISSN 2231-8526

Article ID

JST-3545-2022

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