Understanding parental perspectives on dengue: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the context of Paediatric hospitalization

Background: Dengue fever remains a significant public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite various governmental and community-level control efforts, household-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) remain crucial for effective dengue prevention, particularly among caregivers of affected children. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dengue fever among parents of children admitted with dengue infection and to evaluate the effectiveness of structured educational intervention in improving these parameters. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of pediatric dengue patients at a tertiary care center. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire assessed baseline KAP. Following this, a targeted educational session was provided, and KAP was reassessed after a fixed period. Associations between KAP scores and sociodemographic variables were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of knowledge adequacy. Results: Out of the total participants, 45% demonstrated adequate knowledge, 77.5% had positive attitudes, and 61.7% showed adequate preventive practices at baseline. Female gender, higher education, and professional occupation were significantly associated with knowledge adequacy. Educational intervention led to a marked improvement in KAP scores-adequate knowledge rose from 45% to 82.5%, positive attitudes from 69.2% to 88.3%, and adequate practices from 36.7% to 79.2%. Statistically significant positive correlations were found among all three KAP domains. Conclusion: While attitudes toward dengue fever were generally favorable, knowledge and preventive practices were suboptimal at baseline. Structured health education significantly improved all KAP domains. Targeted, demographically sensitive interventions are essential to strengthen community-based dengue prevention strategies.