title: The acceptability of rat trap use over pesticides for rodent control in two poor urban communities in South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rodent infestations are a public health problem in poor urban communities. The use of illegal street pesticides to control rodent infestations with resulting poisonings is an additional public health concern receiving limited attention in many developing countries, including South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in a household intervention in two poor urban areas of Cape Town, South Africa, received two high quality rat traps. Reported in this article are the results of a follow-up survey conducted six months after distribution to assess community perceived acceptability of using rat traps instead of toxic pesticides (N = 175).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 175 respondents that were followed up, 88% used the traps and only 35% continued using pesticides after the intervention. The analysis identified perceived effectiveness of the traps (prevalence odds ratio 18.00, 95% confidence interval 4.62 to 70.14), being male (prevalence odds ratio 8.86, 95% confidence interval 1.73 to 45.19), and the willingness to buy traps from an informal market (prevalence odds ratio 17.75, 95% confidence interval 4.22 to 74.57) as significantly associated with the acceptance of trap use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rat traps, when introduced to poor urban communities, are acceptable as an alternative to toxic pesticides for rodent control. Sustainability of trap use, however, needs to be researched, especially cost and cost-benefit.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rifqah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roomaney
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: Hanna-Andrea
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rother
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides; D011203:Poverty; D051381:Rats; D012375:Rodent Control / Q000379:methods*; D013019:South Africa; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides