Malaria classroom corner: a school-based intervention to promote basic malaria awareness and common control practices among school-age children

Abstract

PurposeThis study assessed the effectiveness of malaria classroom corner (MCC), school-based intervention in the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among children of primary school age.Design/methodology/approachA quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 206 children of primary 5 and 6 classes from two randomly selected public primary schools in Owerri, South Eastern Nigeria. The MCC was designed and set up in the intervention school (with 103 children) while the control school (with 103 children) was offered malaria health talk. Structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data pre- and post-intervention in both schools. Data was analysed using Statistical Package – Stata version 14.1 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA).FindingsResults show that there was a significant enhancement of basic malaria awareness (p = 0.0003) and common preventive and management practices (p = 0.0202) among children in the intervention primary school compared to those in the control primary school.Research limitations/implicationsThe study did not account for actual behaviour change, as its scope was within basic malaria awareness and common control practices.Practical implicationsThis approach could enhance awareness and proactiveness of school children towards malaria prevention and overall health consciousness.Social implicationsThis could help in achieving a healthy population of school children with a positive effect on their school performance.Originality/valueThe MCC could provide a simple, participatory and effective approach for the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among primary school-age children in malaria endemic areas. Such children could, in turn, become malaria conversation drivers and behaviour change agents in their homes and communities, thereby contributing to the malaria elimination efforts.

Effect of School-Based Educational Interventions on the Knowledge of Malaria and Dengue Among Higher Secondary School Children in Chennai, India: A Pre and Post-intervention Study

“…Further, in our study, school children's knowledge of the symptoms of malaria has improved through classroom lectures, posters, and drawings. Similar findings were also reported from Nigeria, where classroom posters and drawings proved to be effective [23]. In the current study, students identified cerebral malaria as a complication of severe malaria.…”

Awareness and perception of malaria and dengue at school and college level in the district of Multan

“…The parasites are contained in the salivary glands as sporozoites after 10–18 days. The sporozoites are then contaminated with the next blood meal and processes are restarted [ 4 ].…”

School-Based Educational Interventions on Prevention and Control of Malaria—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The meta-analysis was performed with four studies. [18][19][20][21] The knowledge of malaria was reported as SMD. The pooled effect size for the knowledge of malaria was 2.59 (95% CI: 1.90-3.29), indicating a moderate and significant increase in knowledge on malaria in the intervention Grading of evidence.…”

“…20 Furthermore, behavior change through school-based interventions and regular follow-up had shown a positive outcome in students from the Nigerian community. 21 It was a successful strategy in Western Kenya to empower the adults in their families to modify their behavior and practices through continuous motivation and follow-up by school children.11 The methods to increase the knowledge and practice can be varied as flip charts, discussions with the peer group, display of posters that promote interaction and involvement by the members of the community as shown by the studies conducted in Ghana and Zimbabwe. 30,31 The studies included in the meta-analysis had an intervention and control group with the SMD and the overall effect size was significant, which shows that educational methods ranging from lectures, posters, drawings, peer education, and modules led to the substantial improvement in awareness, preventive practices, and change in the perceptions toward malaria prevention.…”