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Despite efforts to control malaria with its morbidity and mortality rates in Tanzania, it still
persists. The main objective of the study on which this thesis is based was to investigate
people’s knowledge, attitudes and socio-economic factors associated with receptivity of
malaria control strategies. The specific objectives of the study were to assess knowledge
about malaria control strategies and its association with demographic and socio-economic
variables, examine attitude towards malaria control strategies and its association with
demographic and socio-economic variables, and determine relationships between
receptivity of malaria control strategies and knowledge, attitude and socio-economic
factors. The study was conducted in Lindi and Mtwara Regions in 2017 and used a cross-
sectional research design. Random sampling was used to select 306 heads of households.
Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data were collected using a
structured questionnaire, but qualitative data were collected through focus group
discussions and key informant interviews. Qualitative data were analysed by being
summarized by their themes, and comparing and contrasting arguments given by different
interviewees based on content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS
Statistics Version 26 Software whereby both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
were employed in analysis. Knowledge about malaria was moderate; the overall score on
the scale that was used to measure it was 53%. The knowledge was significantly
associated (p < 0.05) with sex of respondent, education level of respondent, main
occupation of respondent, and income of household. The overall attitude towards malaria
control strategies was positive (54.5 points above 48.0 points that indicated undecided
attitude). There were significant associations (p < 0.05) between attitude towards malaria
control strategies and sex of respondent, marital status, education level, main occupation,
and household income. The minimum, median and maximum scores on a five-point scale
which was used to measure receptivity of malaria control strategies were 126.72 and
198.00 respectively, and 20% and 80% of the respondents, respectively, had lower and
higher receptivity. Receptivity of malaria control strategies was significantly different (p
< 0.05) among respondents with different levels of knowledge, among respondents with
different attitudes towards malaria control strategies, among respondents with different
marital statuses, among households of various sizes, among households whose heads had
various levels of education, among households with different amounts of income, and
among respondents who had different occupations. On the basis of the findings, it is
concluded that community members in the research area have information on malaria
preventive strategies, but that they hardly have knowledge about malaria causes, how to
utilize preventive measures, and the importance of using bed nets for malaria prevention.
It is also concluded that sex of respondent, education level of respondent, main
occupation of respondent and household income are main factors which explain
knowledge about malaria in the research area. Another conclusion is that community
members in the research have positive towards malaria control strategies, but that they
have negative attitude towards distribution and use of mosquito nets. Moreover, sex of
respondent, marital status, education level, main occupation and household income are
main factors which explain the attitude. Besides, it is concluded that levels of knowledge
levels, different attitudes towards malaria control strategies, different marital statuses,
household sizes, levels of education, household income, and different occupations are
main factors related to receptivity of malaria control strategies. On the basis of those
conclusions, in order to increase receptivity of malaria control strategies and hence
control malaria more effectively, the following recommendations are given. The
government and relevant stakeholders should increase provision of knowledge about the
nature of malaria, its prevention and cure. Communities should make effort to get the
right knowledge about malaria and practise it. In provision of the knowledge about
malaria, the main factors which are associated with it (sex of respondent, education level
of respondent, main occupation of respondent, and income of household) should be given
priority. Campaigns to control malaria should address attitude towards strategies to
control it since attitude is inextricably connected with receptivity of malaria control
strategies. In order to increase receptivity of malaria control strategies, knowledge about
the strategies, attitude towards the strategies, marital statuses, household size, levels of
education, household income, and different occupations should be given high priority as
they are main factors related to the receptivity. |
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