Public Response Regarding SARS Epidemic among Aboriginals in Taipei City

• Main Authors: Hsiao-Wei Chang, 張筱薇
• Other Authors: Shu-Yu Lyu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/69008577254664393878

碩士 === 臺北醫學大學 === 公共衛生學系 === 92 === Severe acute respiratory syndrome is the first severe and readily transmissible new disease to emerge in the 21st century. The major purpose of this study was to investigate the public response regarding SARS epidemic among aboriginals in Taipei City. Data were collected by using the computer assisted telephone interview technique. A total of 507 Taipei aboriginal subjects who aged 18 or older were recruited in this survey. The telephone interviews were conducted from 7 June to 9 June, 2003. Results of this study indicated 82.6% of the subjects obtained SARS information from television. Roughly 78.3% of the subjects considered SARS was a serious disease, and 49.1% of the subjects were feared of the SARS epidemic. Nearly 50.8% of the subjects reported that their lives were influenced by the SARS outbreak. Approximately 17.0% of the subjects believed that they were likely to contract SARS during the current outbreak. About 77.1% of subjects agreed that SARS was transmitted by person to person droplet nuclei and 98.6% respondents knew people who were quarantined in home could not leave their houses. Over 91% of the subjects agreed that adopting precautionary measures could reduce the possibility of contracting SARS. Furthermore, the prevalence rate for smoking, drinking and betel nut chewing were 29.4%, 28.0%, 12.6%, respectively. It was noted that some subjects change their substance use behavior after the SARS outbreak. Among those smoking subjects, 4.7% of them increased the amount of cigarette smoking and 17.4% of them reduced the amount of cigarette smoking. Among those drinking subjects, 5.6% of them increased the amount of alcohol drinking and 24.7% of them reduced the amount of alcohol drinking. Among those subjects who chewing betel nut, 6.3% of them increased the amount of betel nut chewing and 26.6% of them reduced the amount of betel nut chewing. This study concluded that half of the subjects were feared of the SARS outbreak. More health education in this regard should be enhanced through mass media.