Centre for Medicine and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Research Group Geotecnia Ambiental (GIGA), University Francisco De Paula Santander, Cucuta, Colombia.
Pathog Glob Health. 2024 Jun;118(4):334-347. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2024.2358263. Epub 2024 May 24.
Arboviral diseases remain a significant health concern worldwide, with over half the world's population at risk for dengue alone. Without a vaccine or targeted treatment, the most effective strategy of prevention is vector management with community involvement. mHealth interventions, like WhatsApp, offer promising results for engaging communities and promoting healthier behaviors. This study explores the feasibility of integrating WhatsApp in vector control activities to improve arbovirus prevention in Colombia. A mixed-methods approach was employed to assess the WhatsApp-based intervention. WhatsApp messages were sent to 45 community women for 5 weeks to increase their knowledge and practices about dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Pre-and-post surveys and focus group discussions were conducted in community settings to measure the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. Chat reviews were done to assess the usability of users. A total of 1566 messages were exchanged in 45 WhatsApp chats. High acceptance and good usability (82% of users used the app for replying) were reported in this study. WhatsApp messages were perceived as short, clear, and enjoyable. Users liked the frequency, and design of messages. Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated improvements in the knowledge and practices of arboviral diseases. The intention to apply this knowledge in practice was reflected in a significant improvement, particularly in cleaning the laundry tank once a week (pre 62.1% to post 89.6%, < 0.008). This study suggests that using WhatsApp as an additional tool could be a feasible, acceptable, and affordable strategy for improving the adoption of better practices in the prevention of arboviral diseases.
虫媒病毒病仍然是全球范围内的一个重大健康问题，仅登革热就有超过一半的世界人口面临风险。由于没有疫苗或针对性治疗方法，最有效的预防策略是社区参与的病媒控制。移动健康干预措施，如 WhatsApp，为吸引社区和促进更健康的行为提供了有希望的结果。本研究探讨了将 WhatsApp 整合到病媒控制活动中以改善哥伦比亚虫媒病毒病预防的可行性。采用混合方法评估基于 WhatsApp 的干预措施。向 45 名社区妇女发送 WhatsApp 消息 5 周，以提高她们对登革热、寨卡和基孔肯雅热的知识和实践。在社区环境中进行了预-后调查和焦点小组讨论，以衡量这种干预的可行性和可接受性。聊天评论用于评估用户的可用性。在 45 个 WhatsApp 聊天中总共交换了 1566 条消息。本研究报告了高接受度和良好的可用性（82%的用户使用该应用程序回复）。WhatsApp 消息被认为简短、清晰且有趣。用户喜欢消息的频率和设计。预-后调查显示，对虫媒病毒病的知识和实践有所改善。将这些知识应用于实践的意愿反映在一个显著的改善上，特别是在每周清洁洗衣池一次（从 62.1%提高到 89.6%，<0.008）。本研究表明，使用 WhatsApp 作为附加工具可能是一种可行、可接受且负担得起的策略，可以提高更好的虫媒病毒病预防实践的采用率。
