Zoonoses awareness and health perception in livestock farmers: Example of a city in Western Türkiye

Abstract

Background: Zoonotic diseases are on the increase globally. Relevant disease awareness practices regarding public knowledge are useful for disease control. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between individuals' perception of health and awareness of zoonotic diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among farmers in the villages of Kutahya province, located in the west of Türkiye, between February and March 2022. A questionnaire involving questions about the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants in the first part and information about the transmission route of zoonotic diseases and the Health Perception Scale (HPS) in the second part was used in this study. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis-H Test was performed to compare group medians. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 44.10±10.73. The mean score of the individuals obtained from the HPS was 46.62±4.58. The health perception of the participants was found to be moderate. There was a negative correlation between the control center and precision sub-dimensions and age (respectively r: -0.260, p<0.001; r: -0.320, p<0.001). A positive correlation was found between the importance of health and self-awareness and age (respectively r:0.248, p<0.001; r:0.279, p<0.001). Those who knew that zoonoses could be transmitted from sheep, cattle, and humans had higher HPS scores than those who did not know (respectively p:0.003; p:0.001; p:0.007). Conclusion: Increasing health perception in livestock farmers may effectively prevent zoonotic diseases.