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. 2019 Apr 23;19(1):423.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6723-3.

Community knowledge and perceptions on malaria prevention and house screening in Nyabondo, Western Kenya

Peter Njoroge Ng'ang'a  1   2 , James Mutunga  3   4 , George Oliech  3 , Clifford Maina Mutero  3   5
Affiliations

Community knowledge and perceptions on malaria prevention and house screening in Nyabondo, Western Kenya

Peter Njoroge Ng'ang'a et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Screening of houses to prevent mosquito entry is increasingly being recommended as an effective and practical method against malaria transmission through reduced human-mosquito contact. The objective of the study was to assess community knowledge and perceptions on malaria prevention and house screening in a malaria endemic area of Western Kenya.

Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in 2017 in Nyabondo area of western Kenya. A total of 80 households were randomly selected to participate in the study within 16 villages. Structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect data.

Results: A total of 80 respondents participated in the survey and more than half (53.8%) reported to have attained primary education. About 91% of the respondents had previously seen or heard malaria messages and this was associated with the respondents level of education (χ2 = 10.163; df 4; P = 0.038, 95% CI). However, other variables like gender, marital status, religion and occupation were not significantly associated with knowledge in malaria. Insecticide treated mosquito nets was by far the most reported known (97.4%) and applied (97.6%) personal protective while only 15.6% respondents were aware of house screening. The major reason given for screening doors, windows and eaves was to prevent entry of mosquito and other insects (> 85%). Lack of awareness was the major reason given for not screening houses. Grey colour was the most preferred choice for screen material (48%), and the main reason given was that grey matched the colour of the walls (21%) and did not 'gather' dust quickly.

Conclusion: House screening was not a common intervention for self-protection against malaria vectors in the study area. There is need to advocate and promote house screening to increase community knowledge on this as an additional integrated vector management strategy for malaria control.

Keywords: Knowledge; Malaria; Mosquitoes; Nets; Perception; Screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval for this study was granted by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)/Scientific and Ethic Review Unit (SERU) protocol number 2675 as part of Integrated Management for sustainable malaria control in East Africa references KEMRI/RES/7/3/1.

Consent to participate in this study was verbally requested from the participant during interview time, the consent was recorded in each of the household questionnaire after explaining to the participant the objective of the study and confidentiality of the information. The introduction section of the questionnaire sought to seek participant’s verbal consent to participate in the study, captured as either YES or NO, with YES indicating that the participant accepted to participate (Additional file 1). Because of the low-risk nature of the study which did not involve taking participants biological samples, the procedure was ethically acceptable as part of integrated vector management project for malaria control in the area.

The questionnaire and interview questions developed for this study had not been previously published elsewhere. Participant’s rights were respected and guaranteed during the interview time.

Consent for publication

Not Applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sources of malaria prevention and controls messages (Multiple responses)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Known and used personal protection methods
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Known and applied environmental management methods
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Perceived Reasons for screening doors, windows and eaves
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Preferred colour for screen material
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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