Association among ecological and behavioural attributes, dengue vector and disease control: a cross-sectional study of the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: This study examines vector density, the prevailing knowledge, awareness, attitudes and practice (KAAP) of community members regarding dengue disease and their willingness to pay (WTP) for vector control in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study design was followed: (i) an entomological survey was carried out in 727 randomly selected households in 12 wards, representing four urban ecological zones and (ii) a survey of 330 household heads was conducted to study their KAAP. The χ(2) test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) were applied to investigate factors associated with WTP and other variables. RESULTS: The Stegomyia indices significantly vary among the urban zones, revealing that the paved and built areas with concentrated public/commercial services have the highest mosquito density. Most respondents (93.9%) knew about dengue and its severity (90.3%); however, many of them were unaware (79.3%) about the types of mosquitoes causing dengue. MLR modelling reveals that average spending per month for mosquito control, household income and knowledge about the effects of land use and seasonality on dengue were significantly associated with the WTP for controlling the dengue vector. CONCLUSIONS: Concerted efforts should be made to increase awareness about dengue transmission and develop community-based sustainable dengue vector control programmes involving both the public and private sectors.