Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about dengue among families of hospitalized children in Tegucigalpa

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue is an arboviral disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV), transmitted by female mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding dengue among family members of pediatric patients hospitalized for dengue at a public hospital in Tegucigalpa. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study. The study population included relatives of pediatric patients admitted to the dengue ward of María Hospital, Pediatric Specialties (HMEP). Inclusion criteria were: Being the responsible the relative responsible for a patient under 18 years of age, hospitalized with a clinical diagnosis of dengue with warning signs or severe dengue, confirmed by either a rapid antigen test or serological test. Exclusion criteria included relatives with communication or comprehension difficulties. Descriptive statistics and tables were used to present the data. The study was approved by the ethics committee. Results: The family member accompanying the patient was the mother or father in 94.0% (105/112) of the cases. The median age of participants was 34 years, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 29 to 38 years. 95.5% (107/112) were female. 79.5% (89/112) of participants had adequate knowledge about the disease. 76.7% (83/112) exhibited appropriate attitudes, while 59.8% (67/112) demonstrated adequate practices regarding dengue prevention and control. Discussion: The findings of this study show that while most participants had adequate knowledge and attitudes, the implementation of prevention and control measures showed lower compliance rates.