Abstract
BackgroundCommunity participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti’s control and reinforce health-educational planning. Due to the lack of accurate methodologies for measuring perception, a new tool to assess the community’s perceptions was built.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was performed in the Island’s aegypti-infested area, exploring residents’ perceptions regarding most critical community behaviour: aegypti-source reduction and their domestic aegypti-breeding sites. A novel tool defining five essential topics which underlie the source reduction’s awareness and accession was built, herein called Essential-Perception (EP) analysis.ResultsOf 1276 individuals, 1182 completed the questionnaire (92 · 6%). EP-Score analysis revealed that community’s perceptions were scarce, inconsistent and possibly incorrect. Most of the population (99 · 6%) did not completely understood the five essential topics explored. An average of 54 · 2% of residents only partially understood each essential topic, revealing inconsistencies in their understanding. Each resident apparently believed in an average of four false assumptions/myths. Significant association (p<0.001) was found between both the EP-Score level and the domestic presence of breeding sites, supporting the validity of this EP-analysis. Aedes aegypti’s breeding sites, consisting of décor/leisure containers, presented an atypical pattern of infestation comparing with dengue prone regions.ConclusionsThe studied population was not prepared for being fully engaged in dengue prevention. Evidences suggest that EP-methodology was efficient and accurate in assessing the community perception and its compliance to practices. Moreover, it suggested a list of myths that could persist in the community. This is the first study reporting an aegypti-entomological pattern and community’s perception in a developed dengue-prone region. Tailored messages considering findings of this study are recommended to be used in future campaigns in order to more effectively impact the community perception and behaviour.
Highlights
Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks
This study aims to estimate the community’s perceptions of Madeira residents regarding source reduction, and identify the most frequent aegypti-breeding sites present in the domestic environment of this non-tropical region
After seven years of coexistence with the A. aegypti, Madeira Island presents an atypical scenario of domestic infestation
Summary
Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti’s control and reinforce health-educational planning. Recent studies unravel the high cost-effectiveness of an active and continuous vector control as opposed to an answer to dengue outbreaks [2]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), A. aegypti’s control is mainly achieved by source reduction of the vector through the elimination of the mosquito breeding sites [3]. The community is asked to do aegypti-source reduction: to eliminate (cover, empty and/or remove) the most common domestic breeding sites. Studies that suggest and/or test strategies that more effectively promote community behaviours and more accurately assess community perception, are of great need [19]. The ‘community perception’ term used here means “the collective views of a group of people (...) [perception] involves understanding/misunderstanding and discernment, and it includes a choice and action (...) [perception is ] the product of social interaction”, as stated by WHO [19]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
