{ "abstract": "Introduction: Bangladesh is experiencing a drastic increase in dengue infections since 2019, with a record number of cases exceeding 300,000 in 2023 and 102,082 cases in 2025. Control of dengue, spread by Aedes mosquitoes, requires an in-depth understanding of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding prevention strategies and their association with the risk of infection. This association has been rarely examined in adults and even more rarely in relation to the risk of infection in children. This study aimed to investigate the association between parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and children’s dengue seropositivity in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in four neighborhoods of Dhaka in November and December 2023. A total of 297 parents and 412 children aged 2–12 years participated in the study. Parents completed a questionnaire that collected data on their previous dengue experiences, sociodemographic characteristics, social capital, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to dengue. Children’s capillary blood samples were collected via finger prick and tested for IgM and IgG dengue antibodies. The relative risk (RR) of dengue seropositivity was estimated using a modified Poisson regression model with robust error variance. Results: The median ages of the parents and children were 32.5 and 6.7 years, respectively. The adjusted seroprevalence of dengue for both IgM and IgG in children was 14.0% (95% CI 10% -19%). Parents’ KAP scores were classified as intermediate knowledge of the disease in 60.3% of participants; 64.3% reported positive attitudes towards dengue control and prevention actions; and 62.0% had a high score for dengue prevention practices. A higher parent attitude score was associated with lower child seropositivity (aRR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60-0.99). Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary insight into the factors associated with dengue seropositivity in children in Dhaka, offering additional information about parents’ attitudes towards dengue risk and prevention and the relationship with child’s seropositivity. This information can guide public health interventions, such as dengue control campaigns. A more in-depth exploration of the context will help to understand the cultural and social factors that shape KAP in Dhaka. Author summary: Dengue is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes and found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, such as Bangladesh. It presents symptoms including fever, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain, which can progress to abdominal pain and bleeding, and may become life-threatening. Children are at higher risk of contracting the infection and requiring hospitalization. Our study included 297 parents of 412 children aged 2–12 years in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Our objective was to understand how knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dengue may influence the risk of infection in children. We conducted a survey of parents’ knowledge, opinions, and practices regarding dengue, its control, and prevention, and we administered a dengue screening test to children to determine if they had previously been infected with dengue. Overall, we found that positive attitudes toward prevention practices and the perception of dengue as a serious illness were associated with reduced risk of infection in children. Additionally, participants demonstrated knowledge about dengue and recognized prevention practices. These results suggest that other factors, such as attitudes or perceptions, may influence the risk of infection in this population.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada", "Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Montréal, Canada", "BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh", "Department of SBS, School of Public Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America", "Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America", "Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh", "Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, IRD, Inserm, Ceped, Paris, France" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 13, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Claudia Ximena Robayo Gonzalez", "orcid": "0000-0003-2101-7955" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Bouchra Nasri" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Marie-Catherine Gagnon-Dufresne" }, { "affs": [ 2, 3 ], "name": "Avijit Saha" }, { "affs": [ 1 ], "name": "Laura Pierce" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Mushfiqur Rahman" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "John Barnard Mackfield" }, { "affs": [ 4 ], "name": "Yang Zhang" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Mrittika Barua" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Md. Mizanur Rahman" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Malay Kanti Mridha" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Valéry Ridde" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Kate Zinszer" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e101442g1221m.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802", "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802", "id": "e101442g1221m", "issns": [ "1935-2735", "1935-2727" ], "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "hal", "0.sdv" ], [ "hal", "1.sdv.spee" ], [ "heading", "Age Groups" ], [ "heading", "Asia" ], [ "heading", "Bangladesh" ], [ "heading", "Biology and Life Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Children" ], [ "heading", "Dengue Fever" ], [ "heading", "Education" ], [ "heading", "Epidemiology" ], [ "heading", "Families" ], [ "heading", "Geographical Locations" ], [ "heading", "Infectious Diseases" ], [ "heading", "Medical Conditions" ], [ "heading", "Medical Risk Factors" ], [ "heading", "Medicine and Health Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Neglected Tropical Diseases" ], [ "heading", "Pediatric Infections" ], [ "heading", "Pediatrics" ], [ "heading", "People and Places" ], [ "heading", "Population Groupings" ], [ "heading", "Psychological Attitudes" ], [ "heading", "Psychology" ], [ "heading", "Questionnaires" ], [ "heading", "Research Article" ], [ "heading", "Research Design" ], [ "heading", "Research and Analysis Methods" ], [ "heading", "Schools" ], [ "heading", "Social Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Sociology" ], [ "heading", "Survey Research" ], [ "heading", "Tropical Diseases" ], [ "heading", "Viral Diseases" ], [ "openalex", "2739|Mosquito-borne diseases and control" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Epidemiology/Medical risk factors" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Pediatric infections" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Viral diseases/Dengue fever" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Tropical diseases/Neglected tropical diseases/Dengue fever" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Pediatrics/Pediatric infections" ], [ "plos", "/People and places/Geographical locations/Asia/Bangladesh" ], [ "plos", "/People and places/Population groupings/Age groups/Children" ], [ "plos", "/People and places/Population groupings/Families/Children" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Research design/Survey research/Questionnaires" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Sociology/Education/Schools" ] ], "openalex": "W7223145046", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802&type=printable", "pmcid": "PMC13712692", "pmid": "42905863", "published": "2026-10-21", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e101442g1221m.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:23Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802", "source": "plos", "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:01Z", "native_id": "hal-05838257", "source": "hal", "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05838257v1" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:23:13Z", "native_id": "PMC13712692", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0014802" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "hal:0.sdv", "subfield": "general" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:epidemiology", "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:infectious diseases", "subfield": "infectious-disease" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:pediatrics", "subfield": "reproductive-child" } ], "title": "Cross-sectional study on the association between seroprevalence among children and their parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a dengue-endemic city in Bangladesh", "title_text": "Cross-sectional study on the association between seroprevalence among children and their parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a dengue-endemic city in Bangladesh", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:23:13Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e101442g1221m", "venue": "PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases", "versions": [] }