Knowledge, attitude and practice toward leptospirosis among Malaysian wet market sellers / Atikah Nadhirah Johari

The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) toward leptospirosis among Malaysian wet market sellers, to determine the correlation between measured KAP of leptospirosis as well as investigating the differences, association, correlation and predictors of selected study variables with KAP of leptospirosis. Respondents which were wet market sellers were given self­ administered questionnaires consisted of socio-demographic, medical and source of knowledge (n = 11 items), knowledge (n = 26 items), attitude (n = 12 items) and practice (n = 17 items) toward leptospirosis. The collected data were statistically analysed using SPSS version 20. By using Rasch analysis, the KAP instrument was found to be reliable and valid. Hence the data obtained were trusted and reliable. A total of 140 wet market sellers were recruited in this study. The mean age of the respondents was 36.37 (SD 10.75) years old. The mean number ofyear(s) working at wet market was 8.72 (SD 6.94) years. Majority of the respondents had moderate know ledge ( 51.4 % ), unsatisfactory attitude score (90 % ) but satisfactory practice score (64.3 %). Moderate knowledge means that the score was < 72 %, unsatisfactory attitude score was when the score was< 75%. In contrast, satisfactory practice score was when the score was 2 75%. There were significant associations between knowledge and highest completed level of education, occupation, and ever heard of leptospirosis. There were statistical significant differences in the mean scores of the knowledge of leptospirosis with gender, marital status, ethnicity, highest completed level of education, type of occupation, and whether they had ever heard of leptospirosis. For attitude mean scores, there was a significant different found between attitude and number of year(s) working at wet market. Significant positive low correlation was observed between the attitude and practice of leptospirosis among wet market sellers. Two predictors that made statistically significant contribution to knowledge score were the highest completed level of education, and ever heard of leptospirosis that had a negative relationship with knowledge score while the other had positive relationship. As an infectious disease with potential morbidity and mortality on arise, the information on leptospirosis must be made available to the residents via various communication media. It is hoped that the KAP of leptospirosis will be positively transformed in future.