A Qualitative Investigation of the Health Belief in Human Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis

Rabies is a zoonotic disease that causes encephalitis in human and death suddenly. Although, Thailand have vaccination for rabies post exposure treatment but there are still reports of human death from rabies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of the health belief about human rabies post exposure prophylaxis discontinued. The participants were 12 humans in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, who had been receive vaccination program discontinued of rabies post exposure in the past a year.This qualitative research regarded the interpretative paradigm.The research instruments include the audiotape and face to face in-depth interview. The semi-structured interview include perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, self efficacy and modifying factor were conducted transcribed and analysed using content analysis. It was concluded the participant were not cover perception susceptibility there are not follow the World Health Organization standard. In some case, there was no opportunity to recived vaccine after wound healing. That shown about perceive severity of most participant if small wound and not present exudation from wound they are not receive vaccination continued in hospital and,or recieve vaccine late because not understands of the participants perceived benefit. The participants perception barrier prevention some case remembered the first treatment not impressed and afraid for receive vaccination continuced. The health motivation, when long time appointments for receive vaccine their want to remind from someone.These findings indicate that there exists a perception gap about rabies post exposure in the community that could be motivation by increasing self awareness. The results from this study can be applied about health information the most important for people especially increase awareness in human rabies post exposure prophylaxis for effectively block pathogenesis cause from disease