Volume 13, Number 7—July 2007
Letter
Avian Influenza Risk Perceptions, Laos
Table
Avian influenza knowledge, risk perception, and poultry-keeping behavior, Lao People’s Democratic Republic*
Characteristic | Urban, n (%) | Semiurban, n (%) | Rural, n (%) | Total, n (%) | p value | 95% CI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total persons interviewed | 461 | 192 | 189 | 842 | ||
Illiterate | 175 (37.9) | 60 (31.2) | 181 (95.7) | 416 (49.4) | <0.001 | 47.1–54 |
Occupation | ||||||
Housewife | 126 (27.3) | 24(12.5) | 94 (50) | 244 (28.9) | <0.001 | 32–25.9 |
Farmer | 25 (5.4) | 36 (18.75) | 75 (40) | 136 (16.1) | <0.001 | 13.7–18.6 |
Government worker | 103 (22.4) | 22 (11.5) | 3 (1.5) | 128 (15.2) | <0.001 | 12.8–17.6 |
None | 2 (4.3) | 0 | 24 (12.6) | 36 (4.2) | <0.001 | 2.9–5.6 |
Keep poultry | 185 (40.2) | 97(50.5) | 159 (84.3) | 441 (59.4) | <0.001 | 19 (17–20) |
>1 poultry death, past 2 mo† | 58 (31.3) | 84 (86.5) | 95 (59.7) | 239 (54.1) | <0.000 | 49.5–58.8 |
Any poultry deaths, past 2 y |
95 (51.3) |
62 (63.9) |
141 (88.6) |
298 (65.5) |
<0.001 |
63.2–71.9 |
Response to dead poultry (n = 399)‡ | ||||||
Bury dead chickens | 105 (56.7) | 87 (89.6) | 118 (74.2) | 310 (70.2) | <0.001 | 66–74.6 |
Throw out dead chickens | 50 (27.0) | 5 (5.1) | 9 (5.6) | 64 (14.5) | <0.001 | 11.2–17.8 |
Eat dead chickens | 1 (0.5) | 2 (2.0) | 7 (4.4) | 10 (2.2) | 0.06 | 0.9–3.7 |
Treat other chickens | 0 | 0 | 5 (2.6) | 5 (0.5) | <0.001 | 0.07–1.1 |
Apply lime to backyard | 0 | 8 (1.7) | 1 (0.5) | 9 (1.0) | <0.001 | 0.03–1.7 |
Sell dead chickens | 0 | 1 (1.0) | 0 | 1 (0.1) | 0.1 | 0.00–0.3 |
Report dead chickens |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NA |
NA |
Poultry location | ||||||
Henhouse | 39 (21.0) | 4 (4.4) | 7 (4.4) | 50 (11.3) | <0.001 | 8.4–14.3 |
Inside house | 8 (4.3) | 1 (1.03) | 2 (12.6) | 11 (2.4) | 0.003 | 1–3.9 |
Near house (<5 m) | 78 (42.2) | 59 (61) | 28 (17.7) | 165 (37.4) | <0.001 | 32.9–41.9 |
Far from house (>5 m) |
58 (31.3) |
30 (31) |
114 (71.7) |
202 (45.8) |
<0.001 |
41.2–50.5 |
Regular poultry vaccination |
81 (43.7) |
54 (55.6) |
19 (11.9) |
154 (34.2) |
<0.001 |
30.5–39.4 |
Information source | ||||||
Never heard | 8 (1.7) | 11 (5.1) | 7 (3.7) | 26/837 (3.1) | 0.02 | 1.9–4.3 |
Heard from television | 388 (86.4) | 158 (87.8) | 178 (97.8) | 724 (89.2) | <0.001 | (86.4–90.8) |
Heard from radio | 19 (4.2) | 12 (6.6) | 4 (2.2) | 35 (4.3) | 0.1 | (3.02–5.9) |
Read in paper |
6 (1.3) |
1 (0.5) |
0 |
7 (0.8) |
0.003 |
(0.34–1.8) |
Perceive risk for avian influenza | ||||||
In Laos | 369 (81.6) | 110 (60.7) | 8 (4.3) | 487 (59.6) | <0.001 | 56.3–63 |
At home |
293 (64.8) |
72 (40.0) |
5 (2.6) |
370 (45.7) |
<0.001 |
41.9–48.8 |
Unable to describe human disease | 116 (25.6) | 116 (63.7) | 182 (97.5) | 414 (50.7) | <0.001 | 47.3–54.2 |
Able to describe as lethal for poultry |
306 (67.5) |
90 (49.7) |
2(1.0) |
398 (48.7) |
<0.0001 |
45.3–52.2 |
Behavior change‡ | 416 (91.8) | 125 (69.0) | 7 (3.8) | 548 (67.1) | <0.0001 | 63.9–70.4 |
Stopped eating chicken | 328 (72.4) | 120 (66.2) | 0 | 448 (54.9) | <0.000 | 51.5–58.3 |
Avoided contact | 348 (76.8) | 60 (33.1) | 3 (1.6) | 411 (50.3) | <0.000 | 46.9–53.8 |
Stopped keeping poultry | 335 (73.9) | 13 (7.1) | 1 (0.5) | 349 (42.7) | <0.000 | 39.4–46.2 |
Wore mask | 338 (74.6) | 10 (5.5) | 1 (0.5) | 349 (42.7) | <0.000 | 39.4–46.2 |
Washed hands after contact | 100 (22.0) | 3 (1.6) | 1 (0.5) | 104 (12.7) | <0.002 | 10.5–15 |
Ate well-cooked chicken | 155 (34.2) | 3 (1.6) | 1 (0.5) | 159 (19.4) | <0.000 | 16.8–22.2 |
*CI, confidence interval; NA, not applicable.
†Mean nos. of poultry deaths were 15 (range 10–19), 27 (range 22–32), and 15 (range 13–18) for urban, semiurban, and rural areas, respectively. Total mean = 19.3; p<0.0001; 95% CI, 17.0–18.4.
‡95% CIs were 89–94, 62–76, and 1–7 for urban, semiurban, and rural areas, respectively.