The Association between Perception and Dengue Fever Prevention Practices among Residents in High Morbidity Rate Districts, Buriram Province

Abstract

Dengue fever is an important public health problem in many countries, including Thailand. It is caused by the dengue virus and spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In the past 10 years, outbreaks have been unpredictable, requiring continuous surveillance, prevention, and control. The study was descriptive research. The objectives were to examine the relationship between perception and dengue fever prevention practices among the public, and to study the levels of perception and dengue fever prevention practices in districts with high morbidity rates in Buriram Province. A sample of 385 people was selected using multi-stage sampling from high-incidence districts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that most participants were female (62.60%), aged 41–50 years (28.80%), married (69.10%), had a primary education level (73.20%), were farmers (75.30%), and had no history of dengue fever (97.10%). The overall level of health belief perceptions was found to be at a high level ( = 2.72, SD = 0.13). The overall dengue prevention behavior was practiced regularly ( = 2.46, SD = 0.30).The study of the relationship between perception and dengue fever prevention practices among the public showed that awareness of disease severity (r = -0.128, p = 0.012), perceived risk (r = 0.179, p < 0.001), and perceived benefits of prevention (r = 0.159, p = 0.002) had statistically significant correlations with prevention behavior (p < 0.05). However, perceived barriers to performing the behavior had no relation to prevention behavior. Therefore, local authorities and stakeholders should promote activities to raise awareness and emphasize the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites in households to achieve sustainable dengue prevention and control.