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Akanbi et al. One Health Implement Res 2023;3:135-47 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ohir.2023.29 Page 143

Table 7. Respondents’ socio-demographic factors and their practices during rabies exposure and prophylaxis
Practice
*
Variable Associated with lower rabies risk Associated with higher rabies risk X 2* df P-value
n (%) n (%)
Sex
Male 59 (25.1) 176 (74.9) 0.19 1 0.66
Female 61 (23.0) 204 (77.0)
Age (years)
*
≤ 32 53 (19.4) 220 (80.6) 6.39 1 0.01
> 32 67 (29.5) 160 (70.5)
Level of education
No formal education 0 (0.0) 15 (100.0) 54.03 2 0.001 *
Primary to secondary 33 (12.4) 233 (87.6)
Tertiary 87 (39.7) 380 (60.3)
Number of years of keeping dogs
≤ 5 years 49 (18.8) 211 (81.2) 7.31 1 0.01 *
> 5 71 (29.6) 169 (70.4)
Occupation
*
Dog breeders 26 (28.6) 65 (71.4) 11.86 4 0.02
Unemployed 28 (31.5) 61 (68.5)
Student 20 (22.7) 68 (77.3)
Civil servant 42 (68.9) 19 (31.1)
Private business owner 27 (15.8) 144 (84.2)
* 2 * *
X : Chi square; df: degree of freedom; P-values ≤ 0.05 are significant.

Table 8. Association between respondents’ knowledge of, attitudes to, and practices during rabies exposure and prophylaxis
Knowledge Attitude X 2 df P-value
Associated with higher rabies risk Associated with lower rabies risk
n (%) n (%)
*
Associated with lower rabies risk 141 (45.3) 170 (54.7) 7.17 1 0.008
Associated with higher rabies risk 127 (67.2) 62 (32.8)
Knowledge Practices X 2 df * P-value
Associated with higher rabies risk Associated with lower rabies risk
n (%) n (%)
Associated with lower rabies risk 81 (26.0) 230 (74.0) 15.24 1 0.0001 *
Associated with higher rabies risk 168 (88.9) 21 (11.1)
Attitude Practices X 2 df * P-value
Associated with higher rabies risk Associated with lower rabies risk
n (%) n (%)
*
Associated with lower rabies risk 75 (36.9) 128 (63.1) 55.91 1 0.0001
Associated with higher rabies risk 270 (90.9) 27 (9.1)
* 2 * *
X : Chi square; df: degree of freedom; P-values ≤ 0.05 are significant.

With as high as 60.0% of the respondents allowing their dogs to roam freely, there is an increase in the
environmental risk of rabies transmission. Many cases of dog-mediated human rabies have been associated
with bites by free-roaming dogs, and the risk of rabies spillover from free-roaming dogs to other domestic
animals as well as wildlife has been reported in Nigeria . The enforcement of laws prohibiting straying and
[26]
free-roaming of dogs is therefore pivotal to environmental protection geared towards rabies prevention and