Exploring community behaviours and stakeholder challenges in engaging communities with dengue prevention behaviour in Malaysia: implementation research for a qualitative study with a community-based participatory research design

Nurul Adilah Samsudin; Norhafizah Karim; Hidayatulfathi Othman; Nurul Athirah Naserrudin; Mazrura Sahani; Rozita Hod; Ching Sin Siau; Muhammad Norhanizam Harif; Badrul Hisham Abd Samad; Zul-Izzat Ikhwan Zaini

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074222

Exploring community behaviours and stakeholder challenges in engaging communities with dengue prevention behaviour in Malaysia: implementation research for a qualitative study with a community-based participatory research design

BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 12;14(3):e074222. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074222.

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Fakulti Sains Kesihatan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
² Department of Community Health, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Fakulti Perubatan, Cheras, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
³ Centre for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Fakulti Sains Kesihatan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hida@ukm.edu.my.
⁴ National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Institute for Health Systems Research, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁵ Department of Public Health Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Fakulti Perubatan, Cheras, Federal Territory of Kual, Malaysia.
⁶ Centre For Community Health Studies (REACH), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Fakulti Sains Kesihatan, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Health Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pulau Pinang, Bertam, Malaysia.

Abstract

Objectives: To use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design to explore local community behaviours and stakeholders' challenges in engaging communities in dengue prevention behaviours in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia.

Design: This CBPR design in implementation comprised in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Themes were identified from the data with inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Setting: FGDs were conducted in local community areas and IDIs were conducted in the local authority (LA) office and the Hulu Langat district health office.

Participants: All FGD and IDI participants consented to the study, and included health authorities (n=4), LAs (n=7), community leader (n=1), faith leader (n=1), patients diagnosed with dengue (IDIs, n=2) and permanent residents of Hulu Langat who had been exposed to dengue infectious disease (FGDs, n=27).

Results: The main themes were categorised into community behaviour and stakeholder challenges. The community behaviour-related themes were awareness of dengue disease and Aedes mosquitoes, perception of risk and severity, and involvement of authorities. The themes related to stakeholder challenges were resource constraints and capacity issues, jurisdictional constraints and coordination, and educational dissemination and vandalism.

Conclusions: The actions of the authorities shape community and stakeholder behaviours. Effective communication, including clear and aesthetically pleasing messages, motivates individuals to take appropriate actions. It is crucial for the authorities to engage in inclusive communication and consider diverse perspectives, such as those of residents and individuals exposed to dengue infection. Authorities that provide accurate and unbiased information foster transparency and enable informed decision-making by all stakeholders.

Keywords: Decision Making; Health Education; PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.

MeSH terms

Animals
Community-Based Participatory Research*
Dengue* / prevention & control
Focus Groups
Humans
Malaysia
Qualitative Research