Public knowledge, attitude and behavioural changes in an Indian population during the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak

Abstract

Background: Influenza A (H1N1) is the most recent of the pandemic diseases that has affected the world's population. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and behavioural responses of an Indian community toward Influenza A (H1N1). Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in Udaipur (Rajasthan, India) among 791 individuals (57% males and 43% females) from 23 July to 27 August 2009. Outcome measures were perceived seriousness of the disease, opinion about government and health authorities, perceived efficacy of various preventive measures, avoidance behaviours, and increased hygiene maintenance in relation to Influenza A (H1N1). Results: Of 791 respondents, 83.1% had heard about Influenza A (H1N1), but 47.4% felt that they did not have enough information about the pandemic. Only 34.5% felt that their health would be seriously affected if they contracted Influenza A (H1N1). Over half of the respondents (59.6%) had no idea about the duration of the pandemic. Knowledge differed significantly according to gender, age groups, and educational status as well as working status; however, females had better attitude than males. Respondents rated face masks and vaccines as the most effective preventive measures. Conclusion: Results showed that in spite of having acceptable knowledge and attitude, behavioural response to Influenza A (H1N1) was poor. Therefore, increased efforts should be made by the government to understand what factors are associated with adaptive behaviour changes among the general public. Emphasizing the efficacy of recommended actions and the possible duration of the outbreak may further help to improve public compliance.

Knowledge of Swine Flu among Health Care Workers and General Population of Haryana, India during 2009 Pandemic

“…In another study by Kamate et al 83% of subjects had heard about swine flu. 17 In another study 44% of national sample of adult Australians reported having knowledge of the term pandemic influenza, 18 a finding similar to that of a study conducted in the USA in 2006 in which 41% of respondents had previously heard of this term. 7 So here we conclude that our respondents have far less knowledge about swine flu than the above studies and the reason may be lack of public health communications.…”

“…However, only onefourth of participants reported throwing the tissue in the trash after use (26.9%) and avoiding normal activities if they have flulike symptoms (25.7%). 17 It is important to know what proportion of the population is concerned about contracting a disease since those who are concerned would be expected to take more precautions. In a telephone-assisted survey of 2,081 adults above the age of 16 years, the New South Wales Department of Health found that only 48.3% of those interviewed were willing to comply with precautionary measures.…”

An evaluation of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of employees of a university hospital in an H1N1 influenza pandemic

“…It has been shown in previous studies that the most important sources used to inform the public about a pandemic are mass communication tools [10,11]. When Akan et al surveyed students studying health sciences, 19.9% of the students reported the internet as their main source of information about H1N1 pandemics, 8% reported health professionals, and 72.1% reported the media.…”

Individual differences in behavioral reactions to H1N1 during a later stage of the epidemic

“…That is, individuals may perceive and react differently to the epidemic based on their personal situation, attitudes and characteristics. Previous studies have primarily focused on the anxiety created by H1N1 [11,14,17,19,20,22], whereas the relationship between individual variables (e.g., personality characteristics) and responses to H1N1 have attracted much less attention. As is the case with any human behavior, we can assume that personality factors influence both individuals' perception of threats and their reactions.…”

“…Several studies of attitudinal and behavioral responses to H1N1 have been conducted in various countries, including Australia [9], France [10], Hong Kong [11][12][13], India [14], Italy [15], Japan [16], Malaysia [17], Saudi Arabia [18], the UK [19], and the USA [20]. Although many similarities between the results of these studies can be identified, these studies also show large international variations with respect to different aspects of the H1N1 epidemic, including avoidance and protective behaviors, emotional distress, beliefs related to susceptibility, and trust in the efficacy of the preventive measures.…”