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Table 3 Perceptions related human-to-human H5N1 infection

From: Anticipated and current preventive behaviors in response to an anticipated human-to-human H5N1 epidemic in the Hong Kong Chinese general population

 

Gender

Age group

Education level

All

 

Male

Female

 

18 – 34

35 – 60

 

≤Matriculated

≥University

  
 

Col%

Col%

OR

Col%

Col%

OR

Col%

Col%

OR

Col%

Perceived modes of transmission of human-to-human H5N1 (%Yes)

          

   Respiratory droplets

85.0

86.2

ns

84.9

86.1

ns

87.2

82.7

ns

85.7

   Bodily contact

50.4

46.5

ns

44.6

50.5

ns

47.1

50.3

ns

48.3

   Objects contaminated with the virus

61.1

60.6

ns

63.4

59.3

ns

61.7

59.0

ns

60.8

   Eating well-cooked poultry

22.2

27.1

ns

27.4

23.3

ns

24.0

26.6

ns

24.9

No. of items with "yes" responses in the above 4 items

          

   0 – 2

60.3

59.9

ns

60.2

59.9

ns

59.6

61.3

ns

60.0

   3 – 4

39.7

40.1

 

39.8

40.1

 

40.4

38.7

 

40.0

Perceived impacts of human-to-human H5N1

          

   % Fatality rate worse than that of SARS

43.6

37.2

ns

36.0

42.6

ns

39.8

41.0

ns

40.2

   % Efficacy of treatments worse than that of SARS

16.2

10.0

0.58*

12.4

13.2

ns

13.4

12.1

ns

12.9

   % Perceived high/very high chance to have a major human-to-human H5N1 outbreak in Hong Kong

30.8

34.9

 

36.0

31.2

ns

33.7

31.2

ns

33.0

   % Worry about oneself/family members contracting the virusa

47.4

59.1

1.60**

53.8

53.6

ns

54.1

53.2

ns

53.7

   % Perceiving no effective drugs currently available

50.4

50.6

ns

54.8

47.9

ns

49.2

53.2

ns

50.5

Perceived susceptibility to H5N1 infection (% Likely/very likely)

          

   Oneself or one's family members

27.4

26.4

ns

30.1

24.9

ns

22.2

35.8

1.96**

26.8

   Older people

88.9

91.1

ns

93.5

88.0

0.51*

90.0

90.8

ns

90.1

   Adults

49.6

46.8

ns

45.7

49.5

ns

44.7

54.9

1.51*

48.1

   Children

84.6

86.2

ns

88.2

83.9

ns

85.7

85.5

ns

85.5

   Health care workers

76.9

81.0

ns

83.9

76.3

0.62*

76.6

83.8

ns

79.1

   Food sellers

82.9

87.4

ns

94.1

80.1

0.25***

80.9

94.2

3.86***

85.3

   Food handlers

63.7

67.7

ns

74.2

60.9

0.54**

63.2

71.1

ns

65.8

   The general public

35.9

31.6

ns

34.4

33.1

ns

30.4

39.9

1.52*

33.6

No. of items with "likely/very likely" responses in the above 8 items

          

   0 – 6

72.2

77.3

ns

71.5

77.0

ns

79.3

66.5

1.94**

75.0

   7 – 8

27.8

22.7

 

28.5

23.0

 

20.7

33.5

 

25.0

Perceived efficacy of prevention measures (% High/very high)

          

   Quarantine of the infected people

96.6

92.9

ns

94.1

95.0

ns

93.6

96.5

ns

94.6

   Face mask use in public venues

90.2

90.7

ns

88.2

91.8

ns

91.2

89.6

ns

90.5

   Frequent handwashing

93.2

94.1

ns

89.2

96.2

3.06**

94.2

93.1

ns

93.6

   Home disinfections

90.2

90.3

ns

93.5

88.3

ns

90.6

90.2

ns

90.3

   Mass extermination of poultry

73.9

69.9

ns

72.6

71.3

ns

71.4

72.8

ns

71.8

No. of items with "high/very high" responses in the above 5 items

          

   0 – 3

11.1

13.4

ns

14.0

11.4

ns

11.2

13.9

ns

12.3

   4

28.6

32.0

 

29.6

30.9

 

31.0

29.5

 

30.4

   5

60.3

54.6

 

56.5

57.7

 

57.8

56.6

 

57.3

  1. a Would worry that it is likely/very likely for oneself or one's family members to contract H5N1 (if 2–3 new cases were to be reported in Hong Kong.
  2. OR = Univariate odds ratio. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. ns = not significant.