Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards Dengue Fever Among Patients in Hospital Taiping

Background

Dengue fever remains the most significant vector-borne disease and a major public health concern in Malaysia. Transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, dengue affects hundreds of thousands of Malaysians annually, with periodic epidemic waves causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Understanding community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding dengue is essential for designing effective prevention programmes.

This study, conducted at Hospital Taiping in Perak state, evaluated the factors influencing KAP regarding dengue fever among hospital patients. The research aimed to identify gaps between what the public knows about dengue, how they perceive the disease, and what preventive actions they actually take — a disconnect that often undermines vector control efforts.

Study Design and Methods

A descriptive, community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 patients at Hospital Taiping. Participants were selected using convenient sampling methods, and data were collected through structured questionnaires covering four domains: demographic characteristics, knowledge about dengue fever, attitudes toward the disease, and preventive practices. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0, with chi-square tests and correlation analyses employed to examine relationships between variables.

Demographic Characteristics

The study sample was predominantly Malay (59.3%), married (65.7%), and aged 35 years or older (43.3%). Most participants had completed secondary education at the SPM level (53.3%). These demographics reflect the general patient population of Hospital Taiping, which serves a largely Malay and mixed-ethnicity community in northern Perak.

Knowledge About Dengue Fever

Awareness of dengue outbreaks was relatively high, with 60.7% of participants reporting consciousness of dengue fever eruptions in their area. Television and radio were overwhelmingly cited as the primary source of information, reported by 97.3% of respondents. This finding underscores the continued importance of mass media in health communication in Malaysia, even in the digital age.

However, significant knowledge gaps persisted. Approximately 57% of respondents incorrectly believed that abdominal pain was not a symptom of dengue fever — a dangerous misconception, as abdominal pain is one of the warning signs that may indicate progression to severe dengue. Furthermore, 32% of participants believed that blood transfusion could transmit dengue, revealing confusion about the vector-borne nature of the disease. Statistical analysis revealed no significant relationship between overall knowledge scores and socio-demographic factors, suggesting that knowledge gaps cut across educational and social boundaries.

Attitudes Toward Dengue

The study found that attitudes toward dengue were concerning. A majority of mothers held positive attitudes about male smoking — a finding that, while not directly related to dengue, illustrated broader health literacy challenges. More directly relevant, 60.8% of respondents considered smoking by men as normal and socially acceptable behaviour, suggesting that cultural norms may interfere with health-promoting behaviours more broadly.

No significant correlation was found between attitude scores and socio-demographic characteristics. Perhaps most troublingly, 44% of respondents demonstrated poor attitudes toward dengue prevention regardless of their knowledge level. This disconnect between knowing about dengue and caring enough to act represents one of the central challenges in dengue control programmes.

Prevention Practices

Good preventive practice was associated with good knowledge in 65.4% of respondents. However, knowledge alone did not significantly influence attitudes. This finding aligns with the broader KAP literature, which consistently shows that health knowledge is a necessary but insufficient condition for behaviour change. The study highlights the need for prevention programmes that go beyond information delivery to address motivational barriers, cultural norms, and environmental factors that shape health behaviour.

Public Health Implications

The authors recommend several strategies to strengthen dengue prevention in Malaysia. Health campaigns should move beyond simple knowledge dissemination to incorporate behaviour change communication techniques. School-level health education should be prioritised to build preventive habits from a young age. Mass media campaigns via television and radio should continue, given their demonstrated reach, but should be supplemented with community-level engagement activities that address attitudinal barriers.

The finding that knowledge does not automatically translate into positive attitudes or preventive behaviour has important implications for Malaysia’s National Dengue Strategic Plan. Vector control programmes that rely solely on community education may underperform unless they also address the motivational and environmental factors that determine whether knowledge is acted upon.

Limitations

This study was conducted in a single hospital setting using convenience sampling, which limits generalisability to the broader Malaysian population. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences about the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Self-reported data may be subject to social desirability bias, particularly regarding preventive behaviours. Future studies would benefit from multi-site designs and longitudinal follow-up to assess whether KAP improvements lead to reduced dengue incidence.

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