Study of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding dengue in the urban and rural field practice area of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pune, India

• Main Authors: Samir Singru, Dhrubajyoti Debnath, Shankar Bapu Bhosale, Harshal Pandve, Kevin Fernandez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2013-01-01
• Series: Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil University
• Subjects: Dengue; information education communication; knowledge attitude and practices
• Online Access: http://www.mjdrdypu.org/article.asp?issn=0975-2870;year=2013;volume=6;issue=4;spage=374;epage=377;aulast=Singru

Context: Dengue is the most common disease among all the arthropod-borne viral diseases. There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for dengue. The sole method of prevention and control is the knowledge attitude and practices (KAP) for the same. Although, dengue is considered an urban- and semi-urban disease, in recent years, due to water storage practices and large-scale development activities in rural areas, dengue has become endemic in rural areas of India as well. Aims: To assess the KAP regarding dengue. Settings and Design: Urban and rural field practice area of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Pune, India. Materials and Methods: A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to study the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding dengue. Stratified random sampling technique was used. A modified B. G. Prasad criterion was used for socio-economic classification. Statistical Analysis Used: KAP represented as proportion (%). Chi-square test was used as a test of significance. P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: 68.4% in urban areas and 40.4% in rural area knew that dengue is transmitted by mosquito. 62.6% in urban areas and 48% in rural areas respectively stated fever as a symptom of dengue. The use of anti-adult mosquito measures was 48.05% and 51.42% in urban and rural area respectively Conclusions: There is a definite need to increase the information education communication activities for dengue in the study area.