Health Literacy and Factors Associated with Rabies Prevention Behavior Among the People at Lamduan District in Surin Province

Abstract

This study is a cross-sectional analytical research. The objective is to study health literacy and factors associated with rabies prevention behaviors among the people of Lamduan District, Surin Province. The sample group consists of 672 people aged 18–59, selected through a multi-stage sampling method. The research instruments include questionnaire on personal information, pet information, knowledge, attitudes, health literacy, and rabies prevention behavior. Finding the reliability of the questionnaire, the knowledge questionnaire using KR-20 values 0.73, and the other questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. values 0.86, 0.95, and 0.77, respectively. Analyze the data using multiple logistic regression statistics.

The findings revealed that although most participants demonstrated good levels of health literacy, their rabies prevention behaviors were generally suboptimal. Statistically significant factors associated with better rabies prevention behaviors included occupation (p = 0.012), with non-agricultural workers more likely to engage in preventive behaviors compared to agricultural workers (OR_adj = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03-1.32); type of animal husbandry (p = 0.040), with those practicing free-range animal husbandry showing better preventive behaviors than those who confined their animals (ORadj = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.02-2.37); attitude towards rabies prevention (p< 0.001), with individuals exhibiting good to excellent attitudes being more likely to practice preventive behaviors compared to those with poor to moderate attitudes (OR_adj = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.31-2.85); and health literacy levels (p = 0.011), with those possessing adequate to excellent health literacy displaying better preventive behaviors than those with inadequate/problematic literacy (OR_adj = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.36-0.88). In summary, health service units and local authorities should prioritize promoting health literacy, developing positive attitudes, and responsible pet ownership among the public to sustainably prevent rabies in the community.