PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Arboviral diseases remain a significant health concern worldwide, with over half the world\'s population at risk for dengue alone. Without a vaccine or targeted treatment, the most effective strategy of prevention is vector management with community involvement. mHealth interventions, like WhatsApp, offer promising results for engaging communities and promoting healthier behaviors. This study explores the feasibility of integrating WhatsApp in vector control activities to improve arbovirus prevention in Colombia. A mixed-methods approach was employed to assess the WhatsApp-based intervention. WhatsApp messages were sent to 45 community women for 5 weeks to increase their knowledge and practices about dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Pre-and-post surveys and focus group discussions were conducted in community settings to measure the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. Chat reviews were done to assess the usability of users. A total of 1566 messages were exchanged in 45 WhatsApp chats. High acceptance and good usability (82% of users used the app for replying) were reported in this study. WhatsApp messages were perceived as short, clear, and enjoyable. Users liked the frequency, and design of messages. Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated improvements in the knowledge and practices of arboviral diseases. The intention to apply this knowledge in practice was reflected in a significant improvement, particularly in cleaning the laundry tank once a week (pre 62.1% to post 89.6%, p < 0.008). This study suggests that using WhatsApp as an additional tool could be a feasible, acceptable, and affordable strategy for improving the adoption of better practices in the prevention of arboviral diseases.
摘要：
虫媒病毒疾病仍然是世界范围内重大的健康问题。世界上一半以上的人口都有患登革热的风险。如果没有疫苗或靶向治疗，最有效的预防策略是社区参与的病媒管理。m健康干预措施，像WhatsApp一样，为参与社区和促进更健康的行为提供有希望的结果。这项研究探讨了将WhatsApp纳入媒介控制活动以改善哥伦比亚虫媒病毒预防的可行性。采用混合方法评估基于WhatsApp的干预措施。WhatsApp消息被发送给45名社区妇女，为期5周，以增加她们对登革热的知识和做法，Zika,还有基孔肯雅.在社区环境中进行了前后调查和焦点小组讨论，以衡量这种干预措施的可行性和可接受性。聊天评论是为了评估用户的可用性。在45次WhatsApp聊天中，总共交换了1566条消息。这项研究报告了高接受度和良好的可用性（82％的用户使用该应用程序进行回复）。WhatsApp消息被认为很短，clear,和愉快的。用户喜欢频率，和信息的设计。前后调查表明，虫媒病毒病的知识和实践有所改善。将这些知识应用于实践的意图反映在重大改进中，特别是每周清洗一次洗衣箱(从62.1%到89.6%，p<0.008)。这项研究表明，使用WhatsApp作为额外的工具可能是可行的，可接受,和负担得起的战略，以改善在预防虫媒病毒疾病方面采用更好的做法。
