Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices of dengue among the Malaysian population using a video-aided tool

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti, continues to be a significant global health threat, including Malaysia. Various programs have been implemented to reduce the population’s susceptibility to dengue and curb its spread. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices (KAP) related to dengue among the Malaysian population and assess the efficacy of a video-aided tool in disseminating dengue information. A cross-sectional study with random sampling was conducted from March to May 2024 involving 438 respondents. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed using the Google Forms platform. The video was utilised during the interphase of the test to implement the pre-and post-test approach. The scores were assessed based on previous studies using Bloom’s cutoff point criteria. SPSS version 28.0 was used to analyse the data. Analysis of the respondents’ sociodemographic data revealed that female respondents possess higher knowledge levels than males (χ2 = 11.26, p < 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between age and attitude toward dengue prevention (r = 0.298, p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between knowledge and preventive practices (r = 0.354, p<0.001), knowledge and attitude scores (r = 0.633, p<0.001), and attitude and preventive practices scores (r = 0.307, p<0.001). The paired T-test analyses suggested that the video-aided tool significantly enhanced the KAP scores of the respondents (p<0.05). Hence, this study demonstrated the effective use of video as a knowledge transfer instrument to improve the KAP of the Malaysian population towards dengue.