抄録
Objective: To assess practice of preventive behaviors at home and performance of roles in community prevention and control of avian influenza (AI) among village health volunteers (VHVs), and to examine factors correlated with the execution of such behaviors and roles.
Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted in one district of Lop Buri Province, Thailand. Two hundred and twenty VHVs, selected by simple random sampling from all sub-districts with probability proportional to size, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in September 2006. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, and linear regression.
Results: Most VHVs received AI information via television and from health personnel. They had good knowledge about AI and supportive attitudes toward AI prevention and control. After controlling for the effects of other variables, practice of preventive behaviors at home was significantly associated with performance of roles in community prevention and control of AI, and 5% of the variability in VHVs' scores on community roles performed is explained by the model. Meanwhile, attitude toward AI prevention and control was significantly associated with practice of preventive behaviors at home, and 12.4% of the variability in VHVs' practice of preventive behaviors at home is explained by the model.
Conclusion: VHVs demonstrated good knowledge about AI and supportive attitudes toward AI prevention and control. Practice of preventive behaviors at home was positively correlated with performance of roles in the community. Attitude toward AI prevention and control and knowledge about AI, meanwhile, was positively correlated with practice of preventive behaviors at home.
