The relationship between economic status, knowledge on dengue, risk perceptions and practices.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vector-Borne Disease Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Dengue reemergence highlights challenges in traditional control programs.
• Effective dengue control necessitates community-based strategies and behavioral change for Aedes aegypti management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the direct and indirect determinants of dengue-related practices.
• To analyze the relationships between economic status, knowledge, risk perception, and Aedes aegypti control practices.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 780 households in Havana, Cuba.
• Utilized questionnaires and observation guides to collect data on key variables.
• Employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test a conceptual model.

Main Results:

• EFA identified five factors: Knowledge, Intradomiciliar risk practices, Peridomiciliar risk practices, Risk perception, and Economic status, explaining 74.3% of variance.
• CFA revealed that only Knowledge of dengue significantly and positively influenced Practices.
• Economic status directly correlated with Knowledge but not with Risk Perception or Practices.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of dengue is a key direct determinant of control practices.
• Economic status indirectly influences practices through its effect on knowledge.
• Findings inform the design of community-based dengue control strategies emphasizing Information, Education, and Communication (IEC).