Treatment-Seeking Behaviors and Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Suspected Dengue Adult Patients at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Bangkok, Thailand

Pittaya Piroonamornpun, Panita Looareesuwan, Viravarn Luvira, Nantawan Wongchidwon, Piyanan Pakdeewut, Saranath Lawpoolsri and Benjaluck Phonrat
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Pittaya Piroonamornpun: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Panita Looareesuwan: Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Viravarn Luvira: Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Nantawan Wongchidwon: Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Piyanan Pakdeewut: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Saranath Lawpoolsri: Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Benjaluck Phonrat: Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-9

Abstract: Dengue infection is a major public health problem in Thailand with an increasing incidence in the adult population. Patients’ knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) with regarding dengue infection have direct influences on treatment-seeking behaviors and clinical outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the KAP and treatment-seeking behaviors of suspected dengue adult patients attending the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD) in Bangkok, from March 2014 to February 2015. Among 167 participants, the majority of participants (87.9%) were unaware of dengue infection and most of them reported initial self-medication (95.2%). The mean days of fever before attending to the HTD was 4.9 ± 1.7 days. Outpatient cases reported seeking care significantly earlier than inpatient cases (mean: 3.1 days vs. 5.0 days; p < 0.001). The majority of patients believed that dengue infection has a high mortality rate (63%) and must be treated in hospital (91.3%), highlighting the lack of understanding and misperceptions regarding dengue-related knowledge in the general population. Patients who reported recent or current dengue infection in their family or neighborhood sought medical care early and reported good preventive practices. Health education should focus on the adult population to improve awareness of dengue symptoms and promote early treatment-seeking behavior.

Keywords: adult; dengue; knowledge; attitudes and practices; KAP; treatment-seeking behaviors; Thailand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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