Public Health
Volume 122, Issue 5 , Pages 462-470, May 2008

Patient knowledge and attitudes about avian influenza in an internal medicine clinic

  • Michael A. Gaglia Jr.

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • Division of General Academic Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh, Suite 600, 230 McKee Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Tel.: +17343953924; fax: +14126924838.
    • ,
  • Robert L. Cook

      Affiliations

    • Division of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Florida, USA
    • ,
  • Kevin L. Kraemer

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
    • ,
  • Michael B. Rothberg

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, Tufts University, USA

Received 17 January 2007; received in revised form 4 June 2007; accepted 31 July 2007.

Summary 

Background

Avian influenza is an emerging threat to public health, but little is known about how the public perceives this threat. The objective of this study was to describe beliefs, attitudes and knowledge regarding avian influenza among patients in an internal medicine clinic.

Study design

Cross-sectional survey.

Methods

Four hundred adult patients in an internal medicine clinic received the survey between April and June 2006.

Results

The most common sources of information about avian influenza were local and national television news (74%), cable news (51%) and newspapers (50%). The mean percentage of correct answers to seven questions regarding knowledge of avian influenza was 49%. Multivariable linear regression using the percentage of correct answers to these questions as the primary outcome showed that: (1) college education, Internet and cable news as sources; (2) income greater than $75,000; and (3) receiving an influenza vaccine in the last influenza season were positively associated with knowledge. Having a viral upper respiratory infection on the day of the survey was negatively associated with knowledge. However, greater knowledge was not associated with more positive attitudes regarding possible public health interventions in a pandemic setting. Although 42% of patients were worried about avian influenza, only 22% trusted the Government to contain its spread. Most patients were willing to wear a mask (82%), be quarantined (78%) or undergo mandatory vaccination (55%).

Conclusion

Knowledge about avian influenza was poor in this mainly college-educated sample, but most patients had positive attitudes towards public health control measures that would be used in a pandemic scenario. Further studies are needed to inform education strategies and pandemic influenza planning.

Keywords: Avian influenza, Pandemic influenza, Questionnaires, Health knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, USA

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PII: S0033-3506(07)00272-7

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2007.07.021

Public Health
Volume 122, Issue 5 , Pages 462-470, May 2008

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