IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pntd00/0008111.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sociocultural determinants of adoption of preventive practices for hantavirus: A knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey in Tonosí, Panama

Author

Listed:
  • Carlyn Harris
  • Blas Armién

Abstract

Introduction: Hantaviruses are a group of single-stranded RNA viruses carried by small rodent reservoirs, transmitted to humans through inhalation of aerosolized particles of rodent feces, urine, or saliva. In Panama, the Choclo orthohantavirus has been associated with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (n = 54) and Hantavirus Fever (n = 53). In 2018, there were 107 cases of hantavirus diseases, the majority in the Tonosí district, and 4 deaths. As there is no vaccine or treatment for hantavirus, proper prevention measures by community members is key to stopping outbreaks. Methodology and principal findings: We investigated hantavirus knowledge, attitudes, and practices in one corregimiento of Tonosí, Panama to determine what factors influence uptake of prevention practices and high level of knowledge. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 124 residents covering hantavirus knowledge, attitudes based in the Health Belief Model (perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived obstacles, perceived benefits, and cues to action) and prevention practices. There was an overall high level of knowledge (median score: 4/6), though 20% did not know the route of transmission. The mean number of reported practices performed per person was 8.4 (range: 4–12). Most people had heard of hantavirus through other community members. In linear regression, lower perceived obstacles predicted higher preventive practice score. Reported obstacles to preventive practices included physical restrictions, such as age and health state. In ordinal logistic regression, higher education level and knowing more people who had previously been sick with hantavirus contributed to higher knowledge score. Conclusions: Future interventions should focus on removing barriers to performing preventive practices. As most people learned of hantavirus through community members, interventions should be community-based and involve those who have experienced the disease. Any future education materials should address confusions about route of transmission and be targeted at those with a lower education level. Author summary: Hantavirus is a pathogen spread by small rodents in many regions of the world. In Panama, infection with hantavirus can lead to Hantavirus Fever or Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. In 2018, there were 107 cases of hantavirus infection in Panama, the majority in the Tonosí District, and 4 deaths. Currently, there is no treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantaviruses. It is important that communities carry out the recommended prevention measures. In this study, we investigated what influences people to carry out the proper prevention measures and what influences people’s knowledge of hantavirus in order to design interventions in highly affected communities. We found that barriers such as physical restrictions limit people’s ability to perform the measures. Additionally, we found that those with higher education and those that knew more people who had been sick with hantavirus were more likely to have higher knowledge of the disease. We recommend that future interventions are community-based and focus on removing obstacles to performing the recommended prevention practices and involve those who have been affected by the disease to spread information.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlyn Harris & Blas Armién, 2020. "Sociocultural determinants of adoption of preventive practices for hantavirus: A knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey in Tonosí, Panama," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-17, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pntd00:0008111
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008111
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008111
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0008111&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008111?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Taranum Ruba Siddiqui & Saima Ghazal & Safia Bibi & Waquaruddin Ahmed & Shaimuna Fareeha Sajjad, 2016. "Use of the Health Belief Model for the Assessment of Public Knowledge and Household Preventive Practices in Karachi, Pakistan, a Dengue-Endemic City," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dimitra Sifaki-Pistolla & Enkeleint A. Mechili & Evangelos Melidoniotis & Alexandros Argyriadis & Evridiki Patelarou & Vasiliki-Eirini Chatzea, 2022. "Participatory Action Research for Tackling Distress and Burnout in Young Medical Researchers: Normative Beliefs before and during the Greek Financial Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Tran Huy Phuong & Thanh Trung Hieu, 2015. "Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions of Undergraduate Students in Vietnam: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(8), pages 46-55, August.
    4. Peng Cheng & Zhe Ouyang & Yang Liu, 0. "The effect of information overload on the intention of consumers to adopt electric vehicles," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    5. Alsalem, Amani & Fry, Marie-Louise & Thaichon, Park, 2020. "To donate or to waste it: Understanding posthumous organ donation attitude," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 87-97.
    6. Benoît Lécureux & Adrien Bonnet & Ouassim Manout & Jaâfar Berrada & Louafi Bouzouina, 2022. "Acceptance of Shared Autonomous Vehicles: A Literature Review of stated choice experiments," Working Papers hal-03814947, HAL.
    7. Kristin Thomas & Evalill Nilsson & Karin Festin & Pontus Henriksson & Mats Lowén & Marie Löf & Margareta Kristenson, 2020. "Associations of Psychosocial Factors with Multiple Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged Men and Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, February.
    8. Kamruzzaman, Md. & Baker, Douglas & Washington, Simon & Turrell, Gavin, 2013. "Residential dissonance and mode choice," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 12-28.
    9. Ficko, Andrej & Boncina, Andrej, 2013. "Probabilistic typology of management decision making in private forest properties," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 34-43.
    10. Muhammad Shahid Qureshi & Saadat Saeed & Syed Waleed Mehmood Wasti, 2016. "The impact of various entrepreneurial interventions during the business plan competition on the entrepreneur identity aspirations of participants," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Julie Bayle-Cordier & Loïc Berger & Rayan Elatmani & Massimo Tavoni, 2023. "Breath, Love, Walk? The Impact of Mindfulness Interventions on Climate Policy Support and Environmental Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-29, July.
    12. Szu‐Szu Ho & Rosie Stenhouse & Aisha Holloway, 2020. "Understanding HIV‐positive drug users’ experiences of taking highly active antiretroviral treatment: Identity–Values–Conscious engagement model," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(9-10), pages 1561-1575, May.
    13. Alexandre Cabagnols & Ali Maâlej & Pierre Mauchand & Olfa Kammoun, 2022. "The determinants of entrepreneurial intention of scientist PhD students: analytical vs emotional formation of the intention," Insights into Regional Development, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 4(4), pages 63-82, December.
    14. Diwanji, Vaibhav S. & Cortese, Juliann, 2020. "Contrasting user generated videos versus brand generated videos in ecommerce," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Carlos Bazan, 2022. "Effect of the University’s Environment and Support System on Subjective Social Norms as Precursor of the Entrepreneurial Intention of Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    16. Nouman Khurram & Umair Saeed, 2015. "Factors Influencing the Intention of People to Use Islamic Banking: An Evidence from Lahore, Pakistan," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 3(8), pages 411-418, August.
    17. Agneta Larsson & Mats Westerberg & Lena Karlqvist & Gunvor Gard, 2018. "Teamwork and Safety Climate in Homecare: A Mixed Method Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-12, November.
    18. Leonidas A. Zampetakis & Manolis Lerakis & Konstantinos Kafetsios & Vassilis S. Moustakis, 2016. "The moderating role of anticipated affective ambivalence in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 815-838, September.
    19. Shuleski Darko & Radu Ioan & Anton Cristian Ioan & Crina Veronica Cristea, 2017. "Digital Transformation Approach for Improving Public Services Using Cloud Computing Technology. Case Study Bucharest, Romania," MIC 2017: Managing the Global Economy; Proceedings of the Joint International Conference, Monastier di Treviso, Italy, 24–27 May 2017,, University of Primorska Press.
    20. Nosheena Yasir & Nasir Mahmood & Hafiz Shakir Mehmood & Osama Rashid & An Liren, 2021. "The Integrated Role of Personal Values and Theory of Planned Behavior to Form a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pntd00:0008111. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosntds (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.