To use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design to explore local community behaviours and stakeholders’ challenges in engaging communities in dengue prevention behaviours in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia.

This CBPR design in implementation comprised in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Themes were identified from the data with inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

FGDs were conducted in local community areas and IDIs were conducted in the local authority (LA) office and the Hulu Langat district health office.

All FGD and IDI participants consented to the study, and included health authorities (n=4), LAs (n=7), community leader (n=1), faith leader (n=1), patients diagnosed with dengue (IDIs, n=2) and permanent residents of Hulu Langat who had been exposed to dengue infectious disease (FGDs, n=27).

The main themes were categorised into community behaviour and stakeholder challenges. The community behaviour-related themes were awareness of dengue disease and Aedes mosquitoes, perception of risk and severity, and involvement of authorities. The themes related to stakeholder challenges were resource constraints and capacity issues, jurisdictional constraints and coordination, and educational dissemination and vandalism.

The actions of the authorities shape community and stakeholder behaviours. Effective communication, including clear and aesthetically pleasing messages, motivates individuals to take appropriate actions. It is crucial for the authorities to engage in inclusive communication and consider diverse perspectives, such as those of residents and individuals exposed to dengue infection. Authorities that provide accurate and unbiased information foster transparency and enable informed decision-making by all stakeholders.