Atif Abbasi
Background: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease that occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, is considered to be a significant threat for the mankind in both developing and developed countries. WHO recommends the best way to prevent dengue endemic is to provide knowledge about dengue and preventive measures to people. Despite the efforts to prevent dengue virus, recent national survey data indicates that prevalence of dengue among population is still on the rise.
Objective: To assess the knowledge of university students about dengue and preventive measures, to know association of awareness about dengue determinants of knowledge of dengue infection in students of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Methods: Quantitative method was used to get meaningful detailed information. The sample was selected by using random sampling technique. For the present study, sample of 365 students of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was taken to explore the research objectives through pre-designed interview schedule. Knowledge of dengue fever and the use of preventive measures were measured by means of structured questionnaire. Differences in knowledge of dengue fever and the use of preventive measures between risk groups were calculated by chi-square test and logistic regression were used for identification of determinant of knowledge.
Results: The study found that students had good knowledge about dengue. Of 365 of students, 97% student had knowledge of dengue and 67.7% had awareness about its mode of transmission. In multivariate analyses, knowledge of dengue significantly differed by age, sex, and region (P<0.05) the students with age above 25 knew more about dengue than the others Odds Ratio (OR) of 3.076 for the age group above 25 compared with people age group 15-20. In comparison with reference group, knowledge of dengue was significantly higher among females students (OR: 2.222), but lower among male students.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the majority of the study population had good knowledge of dengue but the students with qualification group intermediate and graduate had relatively little knowledge of dengue. Therefore, these groups need special attention in future health education programmes. Students with knowledge of the disease more frequently reported the use of preventive measures than the others. In addition, this study recommends a concerted effort by all the stakeholders to increase knowledge of people about dengue which can in turn decrease the risk of dengue infection.
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