Health Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practices of Dengue Fever among Adults with Children 0–16 Years Old: A Multi-regional based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Dengue fever is an important mosquito-borne viral infection with increasing public health relevance in Nigeria. Caregivers play a central role in household-level prevention and early care-seeking for children. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding dengue fever among adults with children aged 0–16 years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 142 adult caregivers. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of dengue fever and attitudes towards prevention. Responses were summarised using descriptive statistics, and associations between selected socio-demographic variables and knowledge or attitude categories were examined using chi-square tests. Results: Most respondents were female (76.1%), aged 30–35 years (62.0%), married (69.0%) and had tertiary education (67.6%). Overall knowledge of dengue fever was moderate, with a mean knowledge score of 4.92 out of 8, equivalent to 61.5%. Awareness of environmental sanitation and household preventive measures was high, with 94.4% and 90.1% of respondents, respectively, recognising their importance. However, knowledge of dengue symptoms (46.5%) and complications (42.3%) was comparatively limited. Respondents showed generally positive attitudes towards dengue prevention, with a mean attitude score of 4.66 out of 6, equivalent to 77.7%. Educational level was significantly associated with knowledge of dengue fever (p = 0.002), while gender and age were not. No significant association was observed between attitude and gender, age or educational level. Conclusion: The findings indicate moderate dengue-related knowledge and positive preventive attitudes among caregivers. Health education should emphasise symptom recognition, complications, transmission and practical household prevention, particularly among caregivers with lower educational attainment.