Health Behavior in Prevention of Streptococcus suis Infection among People in Nakhamin and Phon Chan Sub-District, Phon Sawan District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

This research was a descriptive research aimed to investigate knowledge, belief, attitude, and health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection among people in Nakhamin and Phon Chan sub-district, Phon Sawan district, Nakhon Phanom province. The samples in this study were 377 people, 276 people from Nakhamin sub-district, and 101 people from Phon Chan sub-district by systematic random sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Statistics used for data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson’s correlation.

The results of this study were as follows: The overall knowledge about Streptococcus suis infection, the belief and the attitude about consuming raw foods, and health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection of people in Nakhamin sub-district and Phon Chan sub-district was in medium level. The findings also revealed that in both Nakhamin sub-district and Phon Chan sub-district, first, there was a significant negative correlation between the belief and the attitude about consuming raw foods and the knowledge about Streptococcus suis infection with r = -0.320          (P< 0.05). Second, there was a significant negative correlation between the belief and the attitude about consuming raw foods and health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection with r = -0.368 (P< 0.05). Furthermore, the study found that the knowledge about Streptococcus suis infection had a significant positively correlation with health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection with r = 0.235 (P< 0.05). As aforementioned, the related authorities should pay attentions and promote about Streptococcus suis infection and health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection, and provide citizens the information about the correct belief and attitude about consuming raw foods. Moreover, the authorities should survey health behavior in prevention of Streptococcus suis infection regularly in order to follow up the adjustment to the correct behavior.