Volume 13, Number 7—July 2007
Letter
Avian Influenza Risk Perceptions, Laos
Hubert Barennes*
, Bertrand Martinez-Aussel*, Phengta Vongphrachanh*†, and Michel Strobel*
, Bertrand Martinez-Aussel*, Phengta Vongphrachanh*†, and Michel Strobel*
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.
Page created: June 18, 2010
Page updated: June 18, 2010
Page reviewed: June 18, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.