Feasibility and Effectiveness of Behaviors to Prevent Zika in El Salvador: Results of a Qualitative Study

In April 2018, the Breakthrough ACTION project conducted a qualitative exploration of the perception of the effectiveness and feasibility of Zika prevention actions among pregnant women, men with a pregnant partner and women likely to become pregnant in the near future in El Salvador.

In two areas with known Zika transmission, Breakthrough ACTION conducted 11 focus group discussions with the aforementioned populations and 12 in-depth interviews with men with a pregnant partner. Participants first engaged in a free listing technique to elicit the Zika preventive actions that members of their community do to prevent Zika. Focus group discussions explored community risk perceptions about Zika, perceptions about effectiveness and feasibility of 18 prevention practices and techniques they employ for water storage container cleaning. In-depth interviews explored participant perceptions about community attitudes regarding a subset of these Zika prevention behaviors (e.g., using condoms during pregnancy, regularly removing unintentional standing water, cleaning water storage containers, and seeking prenatal care).

This research report (currently in Spanish and English) details the findings of the research conducted in El Salvador and provides recommendations for behavior change programs.