Knowledge, attitude and practice towards dengue fever prevention and treatment among health care workers in Somalia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever (DF) has become a public health concern due to its rapid spread worldwide. In 2022, dengue outbreak cases were reported in Mogadishu. Therefore, evaluating healthcare 'workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices will substantially impact the prevention and treatment of DF patients. This study aimed to healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning DF. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted from March 2023 to July 2023. The study participants were 384 healthcare workers from multiple federal states in Somalia. A structured questionnaire was disseminated online, especially via WhatsApp, Messenger, and email. Data was cleaned, coded, and analysed using R programming software (version 4.4.0). RESULT: The 384 healthcare workers conducted across Somalia demonstrated 66.66% poor knowledge (16.2 ± 4.7), 70.9% positive attitudes (mean score 45.3 ± 4.2), and 61.6% poor practices (mean score 11.7 ± 4.7). Correlation analysis showed that knowledge showed a moderate correlation with practices (r = 0.49) and a weak correlation with attitudes (r = 0.30), while attitudes and practices demonstrated a weak correlation (r = 0.25). CONCLUSION: This study identified critical gaps in knowledge and practice regarding DF among healthcare workers in Somalia. Targeted training programs on critical knowledge among health workers, community engagement strategies, and behavioural interventions will help prevent and treat DF in Somalia.