Knowledge, attitude and preventive practices of the community towards dengue fever in Seiyun city, Yemen: a cross-sectional study

Dengue fever (DF) is now a major concern for world public health. Despite the government's reactionary measures, dengue incidences in Yemen are on the rise. Therefore, having adequate knowledge, a positive mindset, and appropriate dengue management techniques are critical for eradicating dengue. This study aims to evaluate people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about dengue fever (DF) and determine their correlation with sociodemographic factors. This was a cross-sectional facility-based study; participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique out of patients who were seeking healthcare services in Seiyun, Hadhramaut, Yemen. Data was collected using a validated closed-ended questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 28. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied with a considered P value ≤ 0.05 significant in all tests. This study included 415 participants. The study found that 98.80% of participants had good knowledge about dengue fever, while 27.2% had good attitudes and 28.4% had good practices. There was a correlation between knowledge scores and educational level (P = 0.008), with university-educated participants displaying the highest mean rankings. Knowledge scores were higher for individuals who had previously contracted dengue (P = 0.003). Participants who received information from social media, healthcare providers, and the neighbouring community had the highest mean scores across all domains (P = 0.001). The findings suggest that individual characteristics, such as sex and education, as well as the source of dengue-related information and previous infection, can influence knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Targeted interventions addressing these factors may help improve dengue prevention and control in the community.