Knowledge, treatment-seeking behaviour and socio-economic impact of malaria in the desert of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

View related articles Citing articles: 1 View citing articles 2013;28(1) South Afr J Epidemiol Infect Original Research: Knowledge, treatment-seeking behaviour and socioeconomic impact of malaria Climate change has resulted in water mismanagement, increased population, urbanisation, industrialisation, poor sanitation and other developmental activities in the desert of Rajasthan. As a consequence, malariagenic conditions have developed and malaria is now a major public health problem in this area. Malaria control efforts need to identify associated factors and to integrate these efforts with the information, education and communication campaigns and behaviour change communication campaigns that are targeting the community of this region. To this end, a community-based study of knowledge, treatment-seeking behaviour and the socioeconomic impact of malaria was conducted in 18 villages of Ramgarh primary health centre in Jaisalmer district. Three hundred and sixty-five subjects who had contracted malaria at least once in the year before the interview were randomly selected. Data were collected through an interview process. More than two thirds of respondents (69.3%) stated that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes. Nearly three quarters of respondents (73.7%) identified the symptoms of malaria as shivering, alternating fever and chills, and headaches and vomiting. Just over half the respondents (55.1%) believed that antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, could not be administered to pregnant women. 11.8% of subjects were aware of the use of preventative measures against mosquito bites. 7.2 days was the mean time taken by respondents to utilise health facilities for diagnosis and treatment. The treatment cost was significantly higher for those who used private health clinics (rupees 1 200) than it was for those who used government health facilities (Rs. 150/-) (p-value < 0.001). Literate respondents had better knowledge of malaria than illiterate respondents.

A systematic review of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about malaria among the South Asian population

“…Eight studies highlighted socio-economic factors as barriers to malaria control and prevention in SA ( 25 , 29 , 38 , 40 , 47 , 48 , 54 , 55 ). Yadav et al ( 54 ) reported that the majority of people visited government healthcare facilities for blood examination, diagnosis and treatment, as compared to private healthcare facilities. One study, conducted in India, reported that about 51.7% of the participants were aware that governments were taking some initiatives for the prevention and control of malaria ( 31 ).…”

“…Seven studies reported that socio-economic factors led to an increase in malaria cases in several parts of SA ( 26 , 27 , 29 , 40 , 48 , 50 , 54 ). Therefore, there has been a clear emphasis that the government should focus on socio-economic factors in order to decrease the adverse effects of socio-economic factor attributes, including climate change, in vulnerability to malaria in this region.…”

“…Several studies reported that local people perceived and defined malaria differently, and the perceived symptoms presented by the participants in the study were common cold, typhoid, tuberculosis, skin disease and diarrhoea ( 53 , 54 ). Studies carried out by Das and Ravindran ( 32 , 33 ) stated that people defined malaria using the term ‘meleria’ and that was equated with the meaning of ‘common disease’ in the community.…”

Patients’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Uncomplicated Malaria Management in Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria

“…Patients' inappropriate medications practices have been shown to be associated with many factors which could either be intentional or unintentional, complexity of a medication regimen (polypharmacy) and patient's memory, health-care professionals' practices, or even economic reasons among many factors [10][11][12][13]. Considering the established interrelationships between the human behavior-related characteristics such as knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and their influence on rational management of ailments [14][15][16], evaluation of these patients' behavior-related attributes as it relates to the management of uncomplicated malaria becomes necessary for intervention purposes, especially at the rural communities where majority of the populations are most affected by the disease [6,12,14,17,18]. The present study was mainly to assess patients' KAP toward uncomplicated malaria management in primary health-care (PHC) facilities in Plateau state, Nigeria.…”

Psychometric Classical Theory Test and Item Response Theory Validation of Patients’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Uncomplicated Malaria Instrument

“…[1][2][3] Studies have shown the influence of patients' knowledge of a disease on their beliefs regarding the aetiology of the disease, 3,4 the seriousness they attached to the ailment 5,6 and their perceptions on the effectiveness of the medication for such ailment. [6][7] Assessing these patients' characteristics during medications might help in the achievement of quality malaria treatment outcomes. Although literatures showed that some Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) studies have been conducted in Plateau state, Nigeria, the survey instruments might not be reliable and valid because they were not subjected to rigorous validation process to ascertain their reliability and fitness for the study, 3,[8][9][10] hence, validation through statistical test models such as Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Items Response Theory (IRT), also known as Modern Mental Test Theory (MMTT), could be considered an initial step to obtain a test instrument that is both reliable and valid, containing appropriate items for the study.…”