A study on factors related to behavioral intention for enterovirus notification by private kindergarten staff

Objectives: The study investigated the behavioral intention for enterovirus notification (abb: NI; notification intention) and related factors by private kindergarten staff in Taipei and Miaoli counties. Methods: A cross-sectional survey based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) was conducted with a structured questionnaire in order to interview a convenience sample of private kindergarten staff in Taipei and Miaoli counties. The frequency and mean score of each item related to the corresponding TpB sub-component were calculated. MANOVA was used to compare the frequency of those individuals with and without NI. A multiple logistic regression technique was used to identify factors related to NI, and multiple regression models were established to explain NI with TpB component variables. Results: Of the 501 respondents who finished the interview, 86.2% showed positive NI, and 33.7% reported experience in notification. The respondents' attitudes were positively correlated with the sum of the products of behavioral belief multiplied by outcome evaluation (r=.610), their subjective norm was correlated with normative belief multiplied by motivation to comply (r=.818), and their perceived behavioral control was correlated with control belief multiplied by power (r=.375). Moreover, those respondents who had graduated from o departments other than nursery had twice (OR=1.99, 95%CI: 1.01~3.91) the NI of those who had graduated from nursery departments in a multiple logistic regression model. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that attitude and subjective norm accounted for 25.3% of the total variation of NI, to which the addition of perceived behavioral control could increase the explanation by 9.2% to a total of 34.5%. Conclusions: Most private kindergarten staff are willing to comply with government policies for the prevention of enterovirus infection. In order to promote NI, the government should campaign for prevention in cooperative and interactive activities with parents and media, and promise not to disclose to the press the names of those kindergartens making a notification. private kindergarten staff, enterovirus notification, Theory of Planned Behavior.