J Agric Med Community Health.  2012 Mar;37(1):1-11.

Comparison of the Awareness and Knowledge of Scrub Typhus between Case and Control Groups

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Korea. wisewine@dongguk.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 3Department of Preventive Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Korea.
  • 4Department of Preventive Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 5Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
To survey the awareness of patient to scrub typhus to provide data for education and communication concerning scrub typhus.
METHODS
Patients with scrub typhus (case group, n=299) and people without scrub typhus within the previous 2 years (control group, n=598) were matched for age (within 5 years), gender, and occupation (farmer or non-farmer). The participants were recruited from 15 study areas between October and December 2006.
RESULTS
The awareness rate of scrub typhus was 75.1%, and was significantly higher than in the case group (79.4% vs. 66.6%, respectively; p<0.01). The major routes of awareness were from 'past history of scrub typhus in family members or neighbors' (54.9%), 'television' (28.3%), and their past history of scrub typhus (5.5%). The average correct rate of scrub typhus was 48.4%, and the correct response rate of cases was significantly higher than controls (p<0.01). Especially, the correct rate of etiology, incubation period, route of transmission, and acquired immunity was <40%. Through conditional logistic regression test, the factor significantly associated with awareness in case group was age (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-0.98). And the factors associated with awareness in control group were female (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.03-2.36) age (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99), family history of scrub typhus (OR, 10.18; 95% CI, 1.37-75.99), history of receiving prevention education (OR, 8.47; 95% CI, 1.14-63.00).
CONCLUSIONS
The rate of awareness was relatively low in study population. Thus, effective working guidelines and educational program to prevent scrub typhus must be developed, and publicity activities about the prevention of scrub typhus are needed for high-risk groups.

Keyword

Awareness; Scrub typhus; Korea

MeSH Terms

Adaptive Immunity
Female
Humans
Korea
Logistic Models
Occupations
Scrub Typhus
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