Evaluating livestock farmers knowledge, beliefs, and management of arboviral diseases in Kenya: A multivariate fractional probit approach

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Sep 16;15(9):e0009786. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009786. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Globally, arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infections continue to pose substantial threats to public health and economic development, especially in developing countries. In Kenya, although arboviral diseases (ADs) are largely endemic, little is known about the factors influencing livestock farmers' knowledge, beliefs, and management (KBM) of the three major ADs: Rift Valley fever (RVF), dengue fever and chikungunya fever. This study evaluates the drivers of livestock farmers' KBM of ADs from a sample of 629 respondents selected using a three-stage sampling procedure in Kenya's three hotspot counties of Baringo, Kwale, and Kilifi. A multivariate fractional probit model was used to assess the factors influencing the intensity of KBM. Only a quarter of the farmers had any knowledge of ADs while over four-fifths of them could not manage any of the three diseases. Access to information (experience and awareness), income, education, religion, and distance to a health facility considerably influenced the intensity of farmers' KBM of ADs in Kenya. Thus, initiatives geared towards improving access to information through massive awareness campaigns are necessary to mitigate behavioral barriers in ADs management among rural communities in Kenya.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Chikungunya Fever / prevention & control
  • Chikungunya Fever / veterinary*
  • Chikungunya virus
  • Dengue / prevention & control
  • Dengue / veterinary*
  • Farmers*
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Kenya / epidemiology
  • Livestock*
  • Male
  • Rift Valley Fever / prevention & control*
  • Rift Valley fever virus

Grants and funding

This study has been supported by funding from the Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Grant number- JU2857/9-1 (received by MK). We also acknowledge the icipe core funding from UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and the Government of the Republic of Kenya. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.