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

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.