{"title":"Knowledge and practices related to snakebite prevention, China: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Lanfen He, Chuanzhu Lv, Xingyue Song, Wenjie Hao, Juntao Wang, Yanlan Hu, Yu Chen, Yong Gan, Xiaotong Han, Shijiao Yan","doi":"10.2471/BLT.23.290169","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess knowledge and practices related to snakebite prevention among Chinese residents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>By using a multistage random sampling approach augmented by snowball sampling, we surveyed residents from 10 provinces, one municipality and one autonomous region south of the Yangtze River Basin between May 2022 and February 2023. We supplemented the data with a national online survey. We used a <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup>-test to identify differences in knowledge and behaviour across various demographic characteristics. We conducted multifactor logistic regression analyses to evaluate factors potentially influencing snakebite knowledge and practices.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>We obtained 55 775 valid survey responses, 16 200 respondents from the face-to-face survey and 39 575 respondents from the online survey. Only 25.7% (14 325) respondents demonstrated adequate knowledge about snakebites whereas 25.6% (14 295) respondents knew basic first-aid practices or preventive behaviours. Age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation, type of residence and frequency of exposure to nature are significant independent variables affecting snakebite knowledge (<i>P</i>-values: < 0.05). On the other hand, gender, age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and type of residence were significant independent variables affecting the behaviour of snakebite prevention and first aid (<i>P</i>-values: < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is a notable shortfall in knowledge, first aid and preventive behaviours among Chinese residents regarding snakebites. Misguided first aid practices can severely compromise the effectiveness of evidence-based therapeutic interventions. Consequently, improving health education concerning snakes and snakebites in this population is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":9465,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10976863/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Bulletin of the World Health Organization","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.23.290169","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/31 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To assess knowledge and practices related to snakebite prevention among Chinese residents.
Methods: By using a multistage random sampling approach augmented by snowball sampling, we surveyed residents from 10 provinces, one municipality and one autonomous region south of the Yangtze River Basin between May 2022 and February 2023. We supplemented the data with a national online survey. We used a χ2-test to identify differences in knowledge and behaviour across various demographic characteristics. We conducted multifactor logistic regression analyses to evaluate factors potentially influencing snakebite knowledge and practices.
Findings: We obtained 55 775 valid survey responses, 16 200 respondents from the face-to-face survey and 39 575 respondents from the online survey. Only 25.7% (14 325) respondents demonstrated adequate knowledge about snakebites whereas 25.6% (14 295) respondents knew basic first-aid practices or preventive behaviours. Age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation, type of residence and frequency of exposure to nature are significant independent variables affecting snakebite knowledge (P-values: < 0.05). On the other hand, gender, age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and type of residence were significant independent variables affecting the behaviour of snakebite prevention and first aid (P-values: < 0.05).
Conclusion: There is a notable shortfall in knowledge, first aid and preventive behaviours among Chinese residents regarding snakebites. Misguided first aid practices can severely compromise the effectiveness of evidence-based therapeutic interventions. Consequently, improving health education concerning snakes and snakebites in this population is needed.
期刊介绍:
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Journal Overview:
Leading public health journal
Peer-reviewed monthly journal
Special focus on developing countries
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Top public and environmental health journal
Impact factor of 6.818 (2018), according to Web of Science ranking
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Provides blend of research, well-informed opinion, and news