Knowledge, attitude and practice on dengue fever among community people of Lalitpur metropolitan city.

Research Report.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Dengue is a global public health issue caused by four virus serotypes. To combat the disease, it is essential to promote individual and community behavioral changes and receive support from the government. Research is needed to evaluate community knowledge and preventive practices, as existing studies have revealed a lack of awareness and preventive measures. Thus this study aimed to assess the Knowledge, attitude and practice among the community people among Lalitpur Metropolitan City.

Method: A concurrent mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted. The study involved 636 participants for quantitative data collection and 20 participants for in-depth interviews. The quantitative survey utilized a multi-cluster random sampling technique, while judgmental sampling was used to select respondents for the qualitative interviews. Face to face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire and interview guidelines to gather data. The collected data provided a detailed understanding of the level of awareness, which helped stakeholders in developing a comprehensive dengue response and preparedness plan. The quantitative data was analyzed using STATA vs 13 software. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the qualitative data.

Results: The study found that within the past two years, 34% of households and 29% of respondents personally experienced dengue. The qualitative survey indicated a high prevalence of dengue in the previous year. In terms of knowledge, about two-thirds of the respondents (64.94%) had knowledge about dengue fever, while 35.06% lacked knowledge. The majority (91.51%) had a positive attitude towards dengue, and around half (49.84%) practiced preventive measures. Out of 217 respondents, 64.97% visited a doctor for diagnosis, while 33.64% did not seek medical check-ups. Regarding treatment, 56.68% purchased medicines without a prescription from a pharmacy.

Conclusion: The findings highlight varying levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice, emphasizing the need to enhance awareness and promote preventive measures.