Healthcare workers perceptions, attitudes, and determinants of their willingness to participate in community dengue prevention and control activities

Nur Ar Rabiah Ahmad^1,2*, Farizah Mohd Hairi², Zaza Hulwanee Mohd Zainee³, N Bakaiwati S.P. Nadarajan⁴, Nur'ain Mohd Ghazali¹

1. Biomedical Epidemiology Unit, Special Resource Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13 Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

2. Department of Social Preventive Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3. Vector Unit, Public Health Division, Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Bukit Rasah, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

4. Quality Unit, Seremban District Health Office, Jalan Lee Sam, Bandar Seremban, 70590 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CITATION: Ahmad NAR, Mohd Hairi F, Mohd Zainee ZH, Nadarajan NBSP, Mohd Ghazali N. Healthcare workers’ perceptions, attitudes, and determinants of their willingness to participate in community dengue prevention and control activities. International Medical Research Journal. 2024 Oct;10(1):52–63.  

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ABSTRACT

Dengue fever remains a significant public health concern in Malaysia, with healthcare workers (HCWs) playing a critical role in managing cases and educating communities. However, their engagement in community dengue prevention and control activities is not well understood. Therefore, this study examined HCWs' perceptions, attitudes, and the factors associated with their willingness to participate in community dengue prevention and control activities. The cross-sectional study was conducted among 240 HCWs across two medical facilities from February to March 2024. Perceptions and attitudes were assessed using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the association was examined using multivariable logistic regression. All of the participants (100%) perceived themselves as having knowledge about dengue, dengue mortality (98.3%), dengue prevention (89.6%) and the usefulness of dengue early warning tools (91.7%). Additionally, the majority of HCWs demonstrated positive attitudes towards community dengue prevention and control activities. However, some expressed concern about the effectiveness of their efforts without community participation (27.1%) and reliable outbreak predictions (10.8%). Multivariable analysis showed that HCWs who perceived themselves as knowledgeable about dengue prevention (aOR: 8.39, 95%CI: 2.86-24.56), wanted to reduce dengue cases (aOR:13.68, 95%CI: 1.83-102.22) and regularly monitored dengue situations/hotspots (aOR:5.42, 95%CI: 2.14-13.72) were significantly more willing to participate in community dengue prevention and control activities. Overall, the study shows that HCWs generally exhibit positive perceptions and attitudes towards community dengue prevention and control activities, which are strongly associated with their willingness to participate in these efforts.

KEYWORDS: Dengue, Healthcare workers, Perception, Attitude, Prevention