Date of Award

January 2024

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Inci I. Yildirim

Second Advisor

Linda L. Niccolai

Abstract

Dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus, has seen a significant increase in global incidence in recent decades. China has experienced a rapid rise in dengue cases since 2013, posing a serious threat to population health and increased economic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes towards dengue fever and dengue vaccination among medical staff in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey targeting medical professionals in Zhejiang, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces, which are known endemic areas for dengue virus infection in China. The questionnaire assessed participants' understanding of dengue virus transmission, high-risk groups, symptoms, knowledge of and attitude towards dengue vaccines. Results showed that 98.6% of participants reported having prior knowledge of the dengue virus. The knowledge of at-risk populations was strongly associated with actual dengue knowledge and vaccine attitude, which potentially drives vaccine acceptance. Most respondents (71.0%) held neutral attitudes towards dengue vaccine, followed by 20.8% that held positive attitudes and 8.2% that held negative attitudes. Individuals with neutral attitude were the most critical in determining the vaccine acceptance rate. Among those that accepted vaccine, 56.1% held neutral attitude, and among those that refused vaccine, 84.3% held neutral attitude. Whilst most respondents (87.6%) reported that they would advocate for the vaccination of susceptible populations against dengue, only 7.5% of respondents were aware of the existence of approved dengue vaccines, i.e. Qdenga ® and Dengvaxia ®. This study provides valuable insights into the current state of knowledge and attitudes towards dengue fever and vaccination among medical staff in China. Association of various knowledge domains with vaccine attitudes and vaccine acceptance shed light on the more impactful direction for emphasis through educational campaigns and vaccine promotion.

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This is an Open Access Thesis.

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