Risk perception and preventive behaviors related to brucellosis among Iranian livestock farmers

Brucellosis is one of the zoonotic diseases that endanger the health of the population, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to assess risk perception and behaviors of livestock farmers on brucellosis based on PRECEDE model in a rural area in the northwest of Iran.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 365 livestock farmers in rural areas of Germi, Iran. Participants were selected random sampling method. Data were gathered using a PRECEDE model based questionnaire consisted of five sections including demographic characteristics, predisposing factors (knowledge and attitudes), reinforcing factors, enabling factors, and brucellosis preventive behaviors.

The mean ± SD of age of participants was 47.1 ± 14.7 years. The state of knowledge about preventive behaviors and ways of disease transmission was evaluated as appropriate (with 87% and 81% of the maximum score, respectively). Three aspects of attitude in participants were desirable. Predisposing factors including knowledge of prevention ways, knowledge of transmission ways, and attitudes toward prevention, reinforcing factors, as well as education were significant predictors of brucellosis preventive behaviors. R ² and adjusted R ² were 0.312 and 0.310, respectively, according to which, about 31% of the changes in the brucellosis preventive behaviors explained by significant dependent variables.

Given that farmers are at particular high risk of exposing brucellosis, improving their knowledge and desirable attitudes of brucellosis is crucial to increasing control the disease.