The Camino Verde trial of community mobilisation for control of dengue reported a significant impact on entomological indices of the Aedes aegypti vector , and on serological dengue virus infection and self-reported dengue cases .
One reason for doing r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) is that experiments can be convincing .
Early epidemiological experimenters , such as Jenner and the smallpox vaccine and Snow and his famous Broad Street pump h and le , already knew the answer they were demonstrating ; they used the experiments as knowledge translation devices to convince others .
More sophisticated modern experiments include cluster r and omised controlled trials ( C RCTs ) for experiments in the public health setting .
Those who are convinced by a trial and want to act , need to know how the trial relates to their own context , what contributed to success , and what might make it even more effective .
Community cost-benefit discussions that launched the Camino Verde intervention in Nicaragua
Background Recent literature on community intervention research stresses system change as a condition for durable impact . This involves highly participatory social processes leading to behavioural change . Methods Before launching the intervention in the Nicaraguan arm of Camino Verde , a cluster-r and omised controlled trial to show that pesticide-free community mobilisation adds effectiveness to conventional dengue controls , we held structured discussion s with leaders of intervention communities on costs of dengue illness and dengue control measures taken by both government and households . These discussion s were the first step in an effort at Socialising Evidence for Participatory Action ( SEPA ) , a community mobilisation method used successfully in other context s. Theoretical grounding came from community psychology and behavioural economics . Results The leaders expressed surprise at how large and unexpected an economic burden dengue places on households . They also acknowledged that large investments of household and government re sources to combat dengue have not had the expected results . Many were not ready to see community preventive measures as a substitute for chemical controls but all the leaders approved the formation of “ brigades ” to promote chemical-free household control efforts in their own communities . Conclusions Discussion s centred on household budget decisions provide a good entry point for research ers to engage with communities , especially when the evidence showed that current expenditures were providing a poor return . People became motivated not only to search for ways to reduce their costs but also to question the current response to the problem in question . This in turn helped create conditions favourable to community mobilisation for change . Trial registration IS RCT N27581154
The Camino Verde trial of community mobilisation for control of dengue reported a significant impact on entomological indices of the Aedes aegypti vector , and on serological dengue virus infection and self-reported dengue cases .
One reason for doing r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) is that experiments can be convincing .
Early epidemiological experimenters , such as Jenner and the smallpox vaccine and Snow and his famous Broad Street pump h and le , already knew the answer they were demonstrating ; they used the experiments as knowledge translation devices to convince others .
More sophisticated modern experiments include cluster r and omised controlled trials ( C RCTs ) for experiments in the public health setting .
Those who are convinced by a trial and want to act , need to know how the trial relates to their own context , what contributed to success , and what might make it even more effective .