Evaluating urban community knowledge, attitudes, and preventive actions (KAP) using the health belief model: Insights from an ideation-informed interpretation of recurrent dengue outbreaks in Selangor, Malaysia

Background Dengue fever remains endemic in Malaysia and presents a persistent public health concern, affecting Selangor in particular. There is an information gap regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of residents in Hulu Langat, Selangor, regarding dengue infection. This study aimed to clarify the dengue-related KAP of Hulu Langat residents using the health belief model (HBM) and discuss the potential integration of ideation concepts to provide a more comprehensive understanding. Materials and methods A community‑based cross‑sectional survey was conducted among 146 individuals in Hulu Langat during March 2022. Data on the respondents’ sociodemographic details and dengue KAP were obtained using an HBM-based semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure, factor analysis, Student’s t-test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results Among the 146 participants, only 38.7% demonstrated sufficient overall knowledge regarding dengue, which included knowledge about Aedes mosquitoes and dengue disease, as well as knowledge of mosquito breeding sites and prevention measures. Notably, the proportion of participants with a positive attitude was relatively low at 27.3%, and only 42.5% demonstrated good preventive practices against Aedes mosquito breeding and dengue fever. Correlation analysis showed a negligible relationship between knowledge and attitude, a significant negative correlation between knowledge and practice, and a moderate negative correlation between attitude and practice. These results highlight the complex dynamics influencing dengue prevention behaviors in the studied population. Conclusion The results revealed that the respondents had notable KAP gaps related to preventing Aedes mosquito breeding and dengue fever. The results demonstrated that raising awareness, shaping a positive attitude, and promoting effective prevention behavior in the studied population require improvement. These results underscore the importance of targeted interventions and comprehensive public health strategies to enhance understanding, attitudes, and practices regarding dengue prevention among the community, especially in recurrent hotspot areas.