Factors Associated with Rabies Prevention Behavior Among Residents in Lom Kao Subdistrict Municipality, Lom Kao District, Phetchabun Province

Abstract

         Rabies is a serious zoonotic disease that continues to be a significant public health problem in many areas around the world. It affects lives and causes fear and anxiety in society. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive research aimed at studying behaviors and factors associated with rabies prevention behaviors among the population in Lom Kao Subdistrict Municipality, Lom Kao District, Phetchabun Province. The sample consisted of 135 pet-owning residents selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including Chi-square analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with the statistical significance level set at 0.05. The results revealed that the overall rabies prevention behavior among the participants was at a high level (  = 3.87, S.D. = 0.63), while the overall motivation for rabies prevention was at a moderate level (  = 3.64, S.D. = 0.38). Factors found to be significantly associated with rabies prevention behavior included age (r = 0.201, p-value = 0.019), occupation (p-value = 0.033), history of animal bites, scratches, or licks (p-value = 0.011), access to rabies-related information (p-value = 0.026), and motivation for rabies prevention (r = 0.599, p-value < 0.001). The findings of this study will lead to the development of strategies and guidelines to promote rabies prevention behaviors by local administrative organizations, public health agencies, livestock departments, as well as community networks, to effectively and appropriately prevent rabies in accordance with the community context.