Queenslanders' use of personal strategies to minimise risk of mosquito-borne disease.

OBJECTIVE

To describe Queenslanders' awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards mosquito-borne diseases and their transmission, and to determine which factors influence the adoption of effective individual prevention strategies.

METHODS

In 1995-6, cross-sectional surveys of adult residents in the western suburbs of Brisbane and registered voters in Cairns were conducted. Forced entry logistic regression was used to predict use of personal protection and elimination of domestic breeding sites in the two cities.

RESULTS

Final sample sizes were 347 in Cairns and 165 in Brisbane with response rates of approximately 70%. RRVD awareness was nearly universal in both cities. A majority of residents (60% in Brisbane and 65% in Cairns) report they are careful to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. 25% of Cairns residents and 18% of Brisbane residents report always using some method of personal protection. Cairns residents are also more likely to say that they actively prevent mosquitoes from breeding in their yards (76% in Brisbane and 87% in Cairns). Knowledge of mosquitoes and disease transmission was slightly higher in Cairns. In Brisbane, dislike of mosquitoes and being regularly bitten were significant in the multivariate model predicting personal protection, whereas concern for disease and being female were significant in Cairns. Concern about disease was a significant predictor of eliminating breeding sites in both cities.

CONCLUSIONS

Raising concern about mosquito-borne disease can increase use of personal prevention strategies. However, providing information on prevention strategies may not be effective. The most effective strategies are not practiced or seen by the public to be related to minimising risk of disease.

IMPLICATIONS: Greater emphasis in health promotion campaigns should be placed on encouraging permanent alterations to the domestic environment rather than temporary methods that are difficult to sustain and not effective against the common vectors for mosquito-borne diseases in Queensland. Educational messages should explicitly link preventive behaviours with the reduction in the likelihood of contracting a serious disease.