A Cross-sectional study on Rabies Prevention Practice and Associated Factor among Residents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction - Rabies is a neglected zoonotic tropical disease that usually affects the poorest communities. Currently, it remains an ongoing threat to human populations and animals in many parts of the world. Next to Asia, Africa is the most affected continent by rabies with an estimated 24,000 (44%) of the annual rabies deaths worldwide. Canine rabies is endemic in Ethiopia. Despite this burden few studies are conducted on Rabies prevention practice in Addis Ababa city. Objective- To assess Rabies prevention Practices and associated factors among Residents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 21 to July 21 in 2022 Method and Material- Cross-sectional study was conducted from May 21 to July 21 in 2022 on 598-household heads in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study respondents were selected randomly using the house hold number as sampling frame. Data was collected by trained person’ through face-to-face interview using structured questioner. Data was entered to Epi.info version 7 and exported to SPPS version 25 software for analysis. Bi-variable logistic regressions and Multivariable logistic regression was computed to identify factors associated with prevention practice and the strength of association was interpreted using adjusted odds ratio, confidence interval and (P-value < 0.05). Result: A total of 560 respondents were involved in the study with 93.7% a response rate. The age of the respondents ranges from 18-66 years. 311(55.5) of respondents were female and 366 (60%) of respondents were married. About 367(65.5%), 296(52.9%) and 312(55.%) have had good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice. Dog ownership (AOR= 11.1; 95% CI: 6.88-18.1), having good knowledge (AOR= 2.51; 95% CI: 1.57- 4.02) and positive attitude (AOR= 3.12; 95% CI: 2.02-4.83) have showed significant association with rabies disease prevention practice. Conclusion and Recommendation: This study revealed that the limited understanding and inconsistent attitudes towards rabies had contributed for poor preventive practices. Hence provision of health education to community that improve awareness, attitude and prevention practice towards rabies disease is mandatory. Key words- Practice, Rabies, Residents, Addis Ababa