A study of factors associated with cockroaches infestation in lunch-box plants in Kaohsiung Area

• Main Authors: Wu Yin-Wen, 吳尹文
• Other Authors: Pai Hsiu-Hua
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/11702572179966039753

碩士 === 高雄醫學院 === 公共衛生學研究所 === 87 === To study the cockroach infestations and its correlation factors in lunch-box plants which produced more than 1000 lunch-boxes per day in the Kaoshiung area. We used trap boxes to trap cockroaches for two connective nights. In addition to, we designed two structural questionnaires to evaluate the environmental sanitation, knowledge, attitude, and practices of cockroach control. The questionnaires were reviewed by five professionals for validity and the reliability score was 0.7 (Cronbach a=0.7). The infestation rate of cockroaches in these lunch-box plants was 48％(29/60) and the average density of the cockroaches was 4.92±2.04 per trap(Mean±S.E.). A positive correlation was confirmed between poor sanitation and higher cockroach populations (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between sanitation of cooking areas and cockroach populations (p<0.05), and then roach population had a significant infestation in bad attitude scores group. We used Logistic regression and Stepwise multiple regression to analyze 17 variables which have significant correlation. As the result, we found eight most significant variable factors and they are listed in the order as below: 1)agreement with installing screens at all exits can prevent cockroaches, 2)use pesticide will pollute food, 3)it is important to keep plants dry in order to protect against cockroaches, 4)cockroaches appear more often in house during daytime, 5)the age of house, 6)cooking area with vector control system, 7)wall cleanness in cooking area, 8)trash around lunch-box plants. The Odds Ratio of the first variable was 25 which was the largest one among those eight factors. We divided 29 lunch-box plants having cockroaches infestation into three groups (direct teaching groups, indirect teaching group, and control group) to perform health education. We did reassessments after educated those people in the lunch-box plants for one week for immediate efficiency and 12 weeks for postponement efficiency. The attitude score of direct teaching group and the scores for knowledge and practice of the indirect group were significantly increased. According to our study, we concluded that it is necessary to put emphasis on cockroach control in lunch-box plants in order to improve the hygiene of the food. However, we did not get any significant results by providing health education on cockroach control during such short period of time, so it is necessary to conduct further research and assessment.