TABLE 2. Awareness, risk perceptions, and actions taken among pregnant women and community members — U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Health, U.S. Virgin Islands, November–December 2016.
| Awareness of Zika* | No. (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Pregnant women (N = 104) |
Community members (N = 165) |
|
|
Health effects of Zika
| ||
| Causes microcephaly or brain defects in babies |
70 (67.3) |
53 (32.1) |
| Pregnant women should try not to get it |
23 (22.1) |
12 (7.3) |
| Causes fever, rash, and conjunctivitis |
14 (13.5) |
19 (11.5) |
| Dangerous |
4 (3.8) |
12 (7.3) |
| Like dengue and chikungunya |
3 (2.9) |
12 (7.3) |
| Can be life-threatening can cause paralysis, GBS |
1 (1.0) |
1 (0.6) |
|
Transmission
| ||
| Can get it from mosquitoes |
36 (34.6) |
80 (48.5) |
| Can be transmitted by sex from a man to a woman |
12 (11.5) |
15 (9.1) |
| Persons in USVI are getting infected with Zika |
4 (3.8) |
10 (6.1) |
|
Protective Actions
| ||
| Wear repellent |
3 (2.9) |
1 (0.6) |
| Wear clothing that covers arms and legs |
1 (1.0) |
0 (—) |
| Eliminate standing water |
2 (1.9) |
3 (1.8) |
| Put screens on windows and doors |
1 (1.0) |
0 (—) |
|
Haven’t heard anything
|
2 (1.9) |
16 (9.7) |
|
Other (specify)
†
|
17 (16.3) |
55 (33.3) |
|
Beliefs about risk
| ||
| Serious or very serious health concern to you personally |
NA |
82 (49.7) |
| Serious or very serious health concern to your community |
NA |
124 (75.6) |
| Moderately or extremely concerned about Zika virus for yourself and your baby§ |
56 (54.4) |
NA |
| Likely or extremely likely that you will be infected with the Zika virus (for pregnant women: infected during your pregnancy)¶ |
14 (13.9) |
69 (41.8) |
| Confident or very confident in your ability to protect yourself from getting infected with the Zika virus during your pregnancy§ |
86 (83.5) |
NA |
|
Personal protective behaviors** | ||
| Used repellent |
77 (74.0) |
70 (42.4) |
| Wore clothes that cover arms and legs |
28 (26.9) |
13 (7.9) |
| Sprayed permethrin on clothes |
11 (10.6) |
0 (—) |
| Used mosquito net at night |
11 (10.6) |
4 (2.4) |
| Don’t go outside at all |
10 (9.6) |
2 (1.2) |
| Used mosquito net during the day |
6 (5.8) |
1 (0.6) |
| Used a condom/had my partner use a condom in all sexual relations |
6 (5.8) |
1 (0.6) |
| Don’t go outside at night |
3 (2.9) |
4 (2.4) |
| Got tested and/or got my partner tested for Zika |
1 (1.0) |
0 (—) |
| Abstained from sexual intercourse |
0 (—) |
2 (1.2) |
| Prayed to God |
0 (—) |
2 (1.2) |
| Looked for more information about Zika |
0 (—) |
1 (0.6) |
|
Mosquito control around home
| ||
| Removed standing water |
18 (17.3) |
50 (30.3) |
| Sprayed inside my home |
14 (13.5) |
24 (14.6) |
| Put screens on windows and doors |
14 (13.5) |
17 (10.3) |
| Sprayed outside my home |
11 (10.6) |
8 (4.8) |
| Used mosquito coil/light fires to keep mosquitoes away |
10 (9.6) |
14 (8.5) |
| Closed windows and doors |
8 (7.7) |
12 (7.3) |
| Used larvicides (like mosquito dunks) |
4 (3.8) |
4 (2.4) |
| Cleaned household environment |
4 (3.8) |
5 (3.0) |
| Used air conditioning |
3 (2.9) |
2 (1.2) |
| Cleaned/Scrubbed water source/storage unit/water container(s) |
1 (1.0) |
3 (1.8) |
| Cut grass |
1 (1.0) |
6 (3.6) |
| Put cover(s) over the water source/storage unit/water container(s) |
0 (—) |
6 (3.6) |
|
Haven’t done anything
|
3 (2.9) |
26 (15.8) |
|
No answer given
|
8 (7.7) |
3 (1.8) |
|
Other (specify)
††
|
25 (24.0) |
32 (19.4) |
|
Frequency of conversation with family members and friends about Zika in past month†
| ||
| Not at all |
25 (24.3) |
63 (38.2) |
| Only once or twice |
33 (32.0) |
45 (27.3) |
| Sometimes |
24 (23.3) |
26 (15.8) |
| Often |
15 (14.6) |
22 (13.3) |
| Every day | 6 (5.8) | 9 (5.5) |
Abbreviations: GBS = Guillain-Barré syndrome; NA= not applicable.
* Responses given to the open-ended question, “What have you heard about Zika?”
† Pregnant women: a lot of things, how to prevent, how it’s spread, and large outbreaks in Brazil. Community members: affects pregnant women, makes them sick, it’s a virus, it came from other countries, Zika is bad and should be avoided, theories on how it got here, it’s like the flu, tires and drums a source.
§ Proportion is from a sample of 103 pregnant women.
¶ Proportion is from a sample of 101 pregnant women.
** Responses to open-ended questions. Pregnant women were asked, “What actions have you taken to protect yourself from getting infected with the Zika virus since you found out you were pregnant?” Community members were asked, “What actions have you taken to protect yourself from getting infected with the Zika virus?”
†† Pregnant women: used Zika prevention kit, avoided areas with mosquitoes, wore no perfume, and protection used by family. Community members: used herbal remedies, used a mosquito swatter, sprayed in general (no place specified), avoid mosquitoes, maintained a healthy lifestyle, kept mosquitoes out of house, and wore light colored clothing.