Determinants of rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices among secondary and vocational school students in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand.
7 affiliations
- 1Center of Excellence for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- 2SUPA71 Co., Ltd, Bangkok, Thailand.
- 3Department of Livestock Development, Amnat Charoen Provincial Livestock Office, Amnat Charoen, Thailand.
- 4French National Institute of Public Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Based at LPED Research Unit, Marseille, France.
- 5IRL HealthDEEP, CNRS-Kasetsart University-Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- 6One Health Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, Thailand. [email protected].
- 7Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, 44000, Thailand. [email protected].
Abstract
Rabies is a critical zoonotic disease that is found throughout the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Once a clinical sign appears, the fatality rate rises to 100% globally. In Thailand, children under the age of 15 had the highest annual reported exposure rate to rabies infection. One of the most significant barriers to disease prevention and control is a lack of public awareness about rabies, particularly among children and young people. The study's goal was to determine knowledge, attitude, and preventive practice (KAP) about rabies and associated factors among secondary and vocational students in Maha Sarakham, Thailand, in 2023. An analytic cross-sectional survey was carried out from January to May 2023, with a total of 628 study participants. Data was collected through online and on-site questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was carried out. Inferential statistics analysis was also performed to identify factors associated with rabies KAP among the target participants.Most participants demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge (55.89%), neutral attitudes (81.37%), and moderate preventive practices (72.77%) toward rabies. Students who had experience raising animals, had previously studied zoonotic diseases, had a history of animal bites or scratches, or had received rabies vaccination showed significantly higher knowledge and practice scores (p < 0.05). Knowledge and attitudes were positively correlated with preventive practices (r = 0.14 and r = 0.28, respectively; p < 0.05). The findings suggest a significant need for rabies awareness programs targeting school and college students within the community. The materials designed to promote KAP regarding rabies should address specific topics, including the risk of rabies, modes of transmission, the significance of first aid, health-seeking behavior following dog bites or cat scratches, and preventive measures for both pets and community dogs and cats.
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BibTeX
@article{suwannarong2026determinants,
title = {{Determinants of rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices among secondary and vocational school students in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand.}},
author = {Kanokwan Suwannarong and Kannika Thammasutti and Satitpong Promsatit and Alongkorn Amonsin and Claire Lajaunie and Natapol Pumipuntu},
journal = {BMC veterinary research},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12917-026-05796-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968085},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Determinants of rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices among secondary and vocational school students in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand.
AU - Kanokwan Suwannarong
AU - Kannika Thammasutti
AU - Satitpong Promsatit
AU - Alongkorn Amonsin
AU - Claire Lajaunie
AU - Natapol Pumipuntu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - BMC veterinary research
DO - 10.1186/s12917-026-05796-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968085
AB - Rabies is a critical zoonotic disease that is found throughout the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Once a clinical sign appears, the fatality rate rises to 100% globally. In Thailand, children under the age of 15 had the highest annual reported exposure rate to rabies infection. One of the most significant barriers to disease prevention and control is a lack of public awareness about rabies, particularly among children and young people. The study's goal was to determine knowledge, attitude, and preventive practice (KAP) about rabies and associated factors among secondary and vocational students in Maha Sarakham, Thailand, in 2023. An analytic cross-sectional survey was carried out from January to May 2023, with a total of 628 study participants. Data was collected through online and on-site questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was carried out. Inferential statistics analysis was also performed to identify factors associated with rabies KAP among the target participants.Most participants demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge (55.89%), neutral attitudes (81.37%), and moderate preventive practices (72.77%) toward rabies. Students who had experience raising animals, had previously studied zoonotic diseases, had a history of animal bites or scratches, or had received rabies vaccination showed significantly higher knowledge and practice scores (p < 0.05). Knowledge and attitudes were positively correlated with preventive practices (r = 0.14 and r = 0.28, respectively; p < 0.05). The findings suggest a significant need for rabies awareness programs targeting school and college students within the community. The materials designed to promote KAP regarding rabies should address specific topics, including the risk of rabies, modes of transmission, the significance of first aid, health-seeking behavior following dog bites or cat scratches, and preventive measures for both pets and community dogs and cats.
SN - 1746-6148
ER -