Educational intervention for the control of Aedes aegypti with Wolbachia in Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

The implementation of new control strategies for Aedes aegypti (Ae. Aegpyti), a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, requires communities to adopt specific behaviors to achieve the success of these innovations.

Aim: We evaluated the effect of an educational intervention based on the Precede-Proceed Model (PPM) and the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT) for the control and prevention of diseases transmitted by Ae. aegypti through release of male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria in a suburban town in Yucatan, Mexico.

Material and methods: From July 2019 to February 2020, a quasi-experimental study was carried out through an educational intervention (pre- and post-measurements) using quantitative-qualitative techniques, in a Yucatan suburban town where male mosquitoes with Wolbachia were released for the suppression of Ae. aegypti populations. Eleven educational workshops were attended by heads of household (n = 19) and schoolchildren (n = 11). Other 136 heads of household not attending the workshops received information individually.

Results: The educational intervention had a significant effect on the mean scores of the contributing and behavioral factors for adoption of innovation (p < 0.05) in the pre- and post-intervention measurements.

Conclusion: Innovative methods for the control and prevention of diseases related to Aedes aegypti can be strengthened through educational interventions supported by sound methodologies.

Descriptors: Community health education, Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia, Mexico.