Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.1633/JISTaP.2019.7.1.2

Dengue-related Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of the General Public in Singapore  

Shaheen, Majid (Nanyang Technological University)
Hu, Ye (Nanyang Technological University)
Hui, Yik Tan (Nanyang Technological University)
Lin, Xinying (Nanyang Technological University)
Publication Information
Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice / v.7, no.1, 2019 , pp. 17-28 More about this Journal
Abstract
Dengue infection is becoming a serious global health threat. Public awareness is a pre-requisite for the successful implementation of dengue prevention programs. The main purpose of this study was to investigate dengue-related information needs and seeking behavior of the general public in Singapore. Some areas covered by this study were: importance of dengue-related information needs, preferred channels for seeking information, and respondents' perceptions of using dengue-related information. A questionnaire was used for data collection and 152 individuals participated in this study. Data analysis showed that the most sought after information concerned: dengue-related medicines, primary symptoms of dengue infection, and different possible treatments. The popular channels for seeking information were: websites of hospitals and other health agencies, the social media, television, and newspapers. Medical staff, such as doctors and nurses, were trusted for providing accurate information. Although credibility of social media was considered low, respondents were using it due to its easy accessibility. The findings of this study will be useful to government health departments in Singapore as well as in other countries suffering from dengue, hospitals, and public welfare agencies involved in public health awareness campaigns.
Keywords
dengue fever; information needs; information seeking; information quality; communication channels; Singapore;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Hassan, S. A., Khail, A. K., Waris, A., Alam, G., & Marwat, S. K. (2017). Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding dengue fever among adult population of district Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Public Health, 7(2), 71-74.   DOI
2 InfoComm Media Development Authority. (2018). Household access to internet 2007-2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://www.imda.gov.sg/industry-development/facts-and-figures/infocomm-usage-households-andindividuals#2.
3 Javed, N., Ghazanfar, H., & Naseem, S. (2018). Knowledge of dengue among students exposed to various awareness campaigns in model schools of Islamabad: A crosssectional study. Cureus, 10(4), e2455.
4 Lee, K. S., Lo, S., Tan, S. S. Y., Chua, R., Tan, L. K., Xu, H., & Ng, L. C. (2012). Dengue virus surveillance in Singapore reveals high viral diversity through multiple introductions and in situ evolution. Infection Genetics and Evolution, 12(1), 77-85.   DOI
5 Li, T., Feng, J., Qing, P., Fan, X., Liu, W., Li, M., & Wang, M. (2014). Attitudes, practices and information needs regarding novel influenza A (H7N9) among employees of food production and operation in Guangzhou, Southern China: A cross-sectional study. BMC Infectious Diseases, 14(4), 1-12.   DOI
6 Majid, S., & Rahmat, N. A. (2013). Information needs and seeking behavior during the H1N1 virus outbreak. Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, 1(1), 42-53.   DOI
7 Mokhtar, I. A., Majid, S., & Foo, S. (2006). Teaching information literacy through multiple intelligences and mediated learning: A quasi-experimental study. Singapore Journal of Library and Information Management, 35(3), 10-25.
8 National Environment Agency. (2018). Dengue: Quarterly dengue surveillance data. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://www.nea.gov.sg/dengue-zika/dengue/quarterlydengue-surveillance-data.
9 Nivedita. (2016). Knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices (KABP) of the community and resultant IEC leading to behaviour change about dengue in Jodhpur City, Rajasthan. Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, 53(3), 279-282.
10 Ooi, E. E., Goh, K. T., & Gubler, D. J. (2006). Dengue prevention and 35 years of vector control in Singapore. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 12(6), 887-893.   DOI
11 Singapore Ministry of Health. (2018). Dengue fever in Singapore. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/192/topic_dengue_fever_MOH.
12 Rajarethinam, J., Ang, L.-W., Ong, J., Ycasas. J., Hapuarachchi, H. C., Yap, G., . . . Ng, L.-C. (2018). Dengue in Singapore from 2004 to 2016: Cyclical epidemic patterns dominated by serotypes 1 and 2. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99(1), 204-210.   DOI
13 Seltenrich, N. (2016). Singapore success: New model helps forecast dengue outbreaks. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(9), A167.   DOI
14 Siddiqui, T. R., Ghazal, S., Bibi, S., Ahmed, W., & Sajjad, S. F. (2016). Use of the health belief model for the assessment of public knowledge and household preventive practices in Karachi, Pakistan, a dengue-endemic city. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 10(11), e0005129.   DOI
15 Siriwardana, E., & Samarasinghe, K. (2018). Secondary school teachers' knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices of dengue fever. GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health care, 5(1).
16 World Health Organization. (2019a). What is dengue? Retrieved January 27, 2019 from http://www.who.int/denguecontrol/disease/en/.
17 Viennet, E., Ritchie, S. A., Williams, C. R., Faddy, H. M., & Harley, D. (2016). Public health responses to and challenges for the control of dengue transmission in high-income countries: Four case studies. PLoS Neglected Tropical Dieases, 10(9), e0004943.   DOI
18 Voeten, H. A., de Zwart, O., Veldhuijzen, I. K., Yuen, C., Jiang, X., Elam, G., . . . Brug, J. (2009). Sources of information and health beliefs related to SARS and avian influenza among Chinese communities in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, compared to the general population in these countries. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 16(1), 49-57.   DOI
19 Wong, L. P., & Sam, I. C. (2010). Public sources of information and information needs for pandemic influenza A (H1N1). Journal of Community Health, 35(6), 676-682.   DOI
20 World Economic Forum. (2016). The global information technology report 2016: Innovating in the digital economy. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GITR2016/WEF_GITR_Full_Report.pdf.
21 World Health Organization. (2019b). Dengue control: Epidemiology. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://www.who.int/denguecontrol/epidemiology/en/.
22 Yboa, B. C., & Labrague, L. J. (2013). Dengue knowledge and preventive practices among rural residents in Samar province, Philippines. American Journal of Public Health Research, 1(2), 47-52.   DOI
23 Boonchutima, S., Kachentawa, K., Limpavithayakul, M., & Prachansri, A. (2017). Longitudinal study of Thai people media exposure, knowledge, and behavior on dengue fever prevention and control. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 10(6), 836-841.   DOI
24 Alhazmi, S. A., Khamis, N., Abalkhail, B., Muafaa, S., Alturkstani, A., Turkistani, A. M., & Almahmoudi, S. (2016). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to dengue fever among high school students in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health, 5(5), 930-937.   DOI
25 Alves, A. C., Fabbro, A. D., Passos, A. C., Carneiro, A. M., Jorge, T. M., & Martinez, E. Z. (2016). Knowledge and practices related to dengue and its vector: A community-based study from Southeast Brazil. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, 49(2), 222-226.   DOI
26 Bhatt, S., Gething, P. W., Brady, O. J., Messina, J. P., Farlow, A. W., Moyes, C. L., . . . Hay, S. I. (2013). The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature, 496(7446), 504-507.   DOI
27 Brusich, M., Grieco, J., Penney, N., Tisgratog, R., Ritthison, W., Chareonviriyaphap, T., & Achee, N. (2015). Targeting educational campaigns for prevention of malaria and dengue fever: An assessment in Thailand. Parasites & Vectors, 8, 43.   DOI
28 Elsinga, J., Schmidt, M., Lizarazo, E. F., Vincenti-Gonzalez, M. F., Velasco-Salas, Z. I., Arias, L., . . . Tami, A. (2018). Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding dengue in Maracay, Venezuela. American Journal ofTropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99(1), 195-203.   DOI
29 Cabrera, R., de la Torre-Del Carpio, A. G., Jesus, A. I. B., Borit, J. M. C., Fuente, F. J. H, Poma. P. V. U., & Ibarra-Casablanca, E. (2016). Knowledge, attitudes and practices about dengue fever in elementary school students in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru [Conocimientos, actitudes y practicas sobre dengue en estudiantes de educacion primaria en Chorrillos, Lima, Peru]. Anales de la Facultad de Medicina, 77(2), 129-135.   DOI
30 Chowdhury, P. D., Haque, C. E., & Meyur, S. (2013). Role of primary care providers in dengue prevention and control in the community: Practitioners' and local laypersons' perspectives in Dhaka, Bangladesh. International Journal of Integrated Care, 13. Retrieved January 27, 2019 from https://ijic.ubiquitypress.com/articles/10.5334/ijic.1300/galley/2138/download/.
31 Firdous, J., Mohamed, A., Al-Amin, M., Ihsan, M., Imadi, M. F., Hakim, M. K., . . . Muhamad, N. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dengue infection among Ipoh community, Malaysia. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 7(8), 99-103.
32 Hanim, A. K., Razman, M. R., Jamalludin, A. R., Nasreen, E. H., Phyu, H. M., SweSwe, L., & Hafizah, P. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practice on dengue among adult population in Felda Sungai Pancing Timur, Kuantan, Pahang.International Medical Journal Malaysia, 16(2), 3-9.
33 Harish, S., Srinivasa, S., Shruthi, P., Devaranavadagi, R. A., Bhavya, G., & Anjum, S. K. (2018). Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding dengue infection among parents of children hospitalized for dengue fever. Current Pediatric Research, 22(1), 33-37.