Assessment of dengue fever knowledge and preventive practices among tiie general population of Jeddah

Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge, health beliefs, and preventive practices against dengue fever (DF) in different dengue endemic districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three dengue-endemic districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 1" to October 1", 2018. Overall mean scores were calculated for knowledge, practices, and Health Belief Model (HBM) construct. Households and their residents having almost similar geographical, environmental, and socioeconomic status were randomly selected. A total score of 19 was possible in the knowledge section, and seven in the practices section. A score greater than the mean was considered adequate for knowledge and practices. Practices regarding DF prevention and control were assessed by asking questions as well as by observation against a checklist of household practices. We used a validated questionnaire to measure HBM construct and DF preventative behaviors, which was adapted from studies conducted in Pakistan, Malaysia, and Australia. Results: Out of the total 241 individuals, around 146 (61%) had adequate DF knowledge with a mean score of 11.18 ± 3.26 and 124 (51%) had adequate practices with a mean score of 5.17 ± 1.80. Multivariate regression showed perceived mosquito control benefits (OR=i.857, 95% CI=i.078-3.199, p-value 0.026) and perceived barriers (OR=o.532, 95% CI=o.305-o.926, p-value 0.026) as significant predictors for adequate dengue knowledge. For dengue preventive practices the only predictor was their perception of mosquito control benefit (OR=i.864,95% Ck1.109-3.134, p-value 0.019). Conclusion: Overall, DF knowledge and practices were rather limited in selected dengue endemic districts of Jeddah. Health beliefs remain significant predictors of both knowledge and dengue prevention practices.