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Background The engagement of schools in malaria control is an emerging strategy. Little is known about the involvement of students in the development of malaria messages. This study evaluated the message content of primary school students’ malaria poems. Methods A qualitative content analysis was conducted to explore malaria messages conveyed in poems produced by students. Twenty poems were purposively selected from twenty schools across rural villages in five districts of the Jimma Zone. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti version 7.1.4 software. The message contents were quantified in terms of frequency, and including metaphors, presented using central themes, categories, and supportive quotations. Results A total of 602 malarial contents were generated, and organized into 21 categories under five central themes. 1) Malaria-related knowledge (causation and modes of transmission, mosquito breeding and biting behavior, signs and symptoms, care for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and prevention methods), 2) Perceived threats from malaria, 3)The effectiveness of prevention methods (i.e., related to the adaption of ITNs, environmental cleaning, indoor residual spray (IRS), treatment for fever, and drug adherence practices), 4) Misconceptions, beliefs, and malpractices regarding the cause of malaria and drug use) and 5) Direct calls to the adopt ITN, IRS, clean surroundings, treatment, and drug use. The most commonly conveyed message contents were about the severity of malaria, distinguishable signs and symptoms, calls for community participation for malaria elimination, knowledge of preventive methods, and effectiveness of ITN use. Metaphoric expressions (war and death) were used to convey messages about the severity and the need to manage the prognosis of malaria through the active ITN use, which itself was metaphorically represented as ‘a trap’ to mosquitoes. Conclusions The poetic analysis indicated that the students developed and disseminated rich malarial messages, especially on malarial knowledge, and perceptions, beliefs, norms and practices of the local community to prevent and control malaria. Therefore, primary school students can be a source of information and would effectively communicate knowledge, perceptions, and promote malaria related practices, particularly in rural settings.

Background: Engagement of schools in malaria control is an emerging strategy. Little is known about involvement of students on malaria message developments. This study evaluated message contents of primary school students’ malaria poems.Methods: A qualitative content analysis was conducted to explore malaria messages conveyed in poems produced by students. Twenty poems were purposively selected from twenty schools across rural villages in five districts of Jimma Zone. Data were analysed using Atlas.ti version 7.1.4 software. Message contents and metaphors were presented using central themes and categories in supportive quotations. Finally, message contents were quantified in frequency. Results: The ages of the poetic students ranged from 12 to19 years old. A total of 602 specific malaria contents generated. The contents were put into 21 categories under five central themes. Contents about malaria-related knowledge include causation and modes of transmission, mosquito breeding and biting, signs and symptoms, caring for insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and ways of prevention. The poems conveyed the perception of threats from malaria. Effectiveness of prevention methods was profoundly reported related to adaption of ITNs, environmental cleaning, indoor residual spray (IRS), treatment for fever, and drug adherence practices. Misconceptions, beliefs, and malpractices were mentioned in the poems pertaining to causes and drug-use. Direct calls were present to adopt ITN, IRS, clean surroundings, treatment, and drug use. Message about the severity of malaria, distinguishable signs and symptoms, manifest calls to community participation towards malaria elimination, knowledge of preventive ways, and effectiveness of ITN use were the most commonly conveyed contents. Metaphoric expressions (war and death) were used to convey messages about severity and the need to manage the prognosis of malaria through active ITN utilization, which itself was metaphorically represented ‘a trap’ to mosquitoes. Conclusion: Poetic content analysis indicated that students in primary schools are considerable malaria messages source, particularly in rural settings. Involving students in malaria programs would effectively communicate knowledge, perceptions, and promote practices by using local metaphors that set learning contexts.

Background School engagement is an emerging strategy and proven potent vehicles for social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) intervention to prevent and control malaria. Little was known about the figurative speeches used in the malaria messages disseminated and communicated by school students. Therefore, this study evaluated the figurative speeches used in the poems to convey messages related to malarial perceptions, beliefs, norms and practices to prevent and control malaria. Methods A qualitative content analysis was conducted to explore the figurative speeches used in malaria messages conveyed in poems produced by primary school students. Twenty poems were purposively selected from twenty schools across rural villages in five districts of Jimma Zone. Data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti version 7.1.4 software. The figurative speeches were presented using central themes and categories supported with quotations. Results The predominantly used figurative speeches were simile, metaphor, personification and hyperbole. Simile was used to express the nature of anopheles mosquito, and sign and symptoms of malaria. The metaphor was used to express malaria, severity/seriousness of malaria and Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN); and also to express the relationship between persons ITN malpractice and its effect on their health. Personification was used to express the nature of anopheles mosquito and malaria. Finally, hyperbole was used to express nature of anopheles mosquito, severity of malaria and exaggerated effect of ITN and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). Conclusions The students conveyed messages related to malarial perceptions, beliefs, norms and practices of the local community to prevent and control malaria through different types of figurative speeches. Therefore, conceptualizing the local norms, beliefs, values, perception and practices, and expressing in different figurative speeches to convey messages and convince the local community might be important to bring the desired or intended behavioral change.