Knowledge and Behaviour Gap Post-Flood: Surveillance of Risk Factors and Tropical Disease Literacy of Residents Affected by Flash Floods in Lambung Bukit, Padang
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/proca.v2i3.60023Keywords:
Disease Surveillance, Disaster Health, Flood, Knowledge-Attitude-Practice, Tropical Diseases, Risk FactorsAbstract
Background: Floods are the most frequent hydrometeorological disaster in Indonesia, exposing survivors to a compounded burden of tropical and vector-borne diseases. Objective: This study aimed to describe the demographic profile, environmental risk exposure, self-reported health complaints, protective behaviour, and post-disaster tropical disease knowledge of flood-affected residents, and to explore the association between flood exposure severity and self-reported skin symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional community surveillance study was conducted among 65 flood-affected residents of Lambung Bukit, Pauh District, Padang City, approximately two to three months after the 27 November 2025 flash flood, using a structured 55-item interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed descriptively with cross-tabulation. Results: Respondents were predominantly women. The most common 14-day complaints were headache and myalgia and itching/skin rash. However, the proportion reporting itching/rash did not show a clear dose-response gradient across flood-exposure categories, suggesting that behavioural and household-level factors beyond direct water contact also shape skin symptom risk. Conclusions: Despite generally high tropical disease knowledge and good baseline hygiene practices, a specific and actionable knowledge-behaviour gap persists around post-disaster diarrhoea management, and skin symptoms remain common regardless of flood-exposure severity, indicating that post-flood health education should be symptom-specific and household-targeted rather than assuming uniform benefit from generally adequate knowledge.
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