Revisiting dengue-related knowledge, attitudes and practices: A cross-sectional study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2018.

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, Vietnam has been recorded as one of the most endemic areas of dengue fever (DF). Thus, controlling DF has become a matter of concern to healthcare professionals and the government. Nevertheless, there has been little research exploring inhabitants' awareness about DF in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The aims of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding DF by the population in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

METHODS

In July 2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,175 people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, using an administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

Only 38% of participants had good knowledge, and 55% of the population reached the satisfactory practices score, while 74% showed positive attitudes relating to DF. Unlike many other studies, education level was not associated with KAP score. However, marital status and monthly income seemed to be related to participants' knowledge levels. In addition, the main sources of information in this research were television and the Internet.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that participants lacked knowledge regarding DF and practices to prevent it. These results recommend improving the population's knowledge andpractices through campaigns aimed at preventing breeding of mosquitoes.