Publication:

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of dengue in factory workers of Amritsar, Punjab

Background Dengue, a mosquito borne, arboviral disease has become a major cause of health concern in the recent times throughout the world. In India, we have been witnessing annual outbreaks for the past few years and lack of knowledge about prevention and treatment of dengue among majority of the population leads to increased mortality. Apart from Delhi, many cases of dengue have been reported from Punjab. In spite of this fact, very few studies have been done to know about the knowledge of people regarding dengue fever and whether proper preventive measures are being practiced by the community to limit its spread. The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude & practices (KAP) regarding dengue in factory workers in Amritsar, Punjab.

Methods The present study was conducted among 162 factory workers of old focal point area of Amritsar in the month of November, 2015. Pre validated, self-structured questionnaires were distributed among the workers after explaining them about the purpose of the study. The questionnaire was also typed in the vernacular language (Punjabi) for the ease of the participants. A written informed consent was obtained from them. The data collected was compiled and analyzed in a pre-structured format.

Results Among 162 workers enrolled for the study, 98.6% were literate and majority (99.4%) had heard about dengue fever. Almost everyone (98.8%) was aware that it is caused by the bite of a mosquito. The major sources of information were television (54.9%) and newspaper (30.9%). High fever was the most common sign and symptom (49.4%) mentioned by the workers. Only 30.9% respondents knew that aspirin should be avoided in a dengue patient. Many workers (94.4%) were aware that standing water can be a common breeding place for the mosquitoes but still, regular cleaning of coolers or water containers was not practiced by all.

Conclusions The present study shows that literacy status of an individual is not associated with adequate knowledge and its application. The study population had insufficient information about dengue while the preventive measures which were known to them for limiting the spread of dengue was not satisfactorily practiced. We as health care professionals should undertake more of these studies to know about the knowledge status of the community and hold health awareness camps. The government should also adopt frequent measures to spread such information through television, newspapers, posters and campaigns.