Assessing Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Risk: Insights from Behavioral Aspects and Home Environmental Conditions

Abstract

As the provincial capital, Jambi City has witnessed rapid development, evident in the construction of 5,000 housing units between 2019 and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if left unoccupied, these settlements could potentially become breeding grounds for mosquito larvae, particularly Aedes aegypti, contributing to the escalating dengue cases in the city. This study aims to analyze the risk factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever based on behavioral aspects and environmental conditions. Conducted in the Pinang Merah Alam Barajo Urban Village of Jambi City, this observational analytic study involved 108 randomly selected respondents. The research data underwent analysis using the chi-square test, with statistical significance set at ≤ 0.05. The findings revealed that most community behaviors fell into the 'good' category, including habits like hanging clothes, collecting rainwater around the house, using abate powder in water reservoirs, weekly drainage of water reservoirs, proper disposal of used items, monitoring of larvae through cards, and keeping larvae-eating fish. The incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever was significantly associated with hanging clothes indoors (p=0.000), collecting rainwater around the house (p=0.004), and draining water reservoirs once a week (p=0.004). However, no significant associations were found with the use of abate powder (p=0.380), disposing of used goods (p=0.087), monitoring larvae with cards (p=0.134), and keeping fish (p=0.122). In conclusion, the study highlights a strong correlation between dengue hemorrhagic fever and certain behaviors, notably hanging clothes indoors, collecting rainwater around the house, and draining water reservoirs on a weekly basis. Keywords: Dengue, Aedes Aegypti, Behavior, Vector