Malaria related knowledge attitude and practices (MKAP) in fourteen communities in Benue state North Central Nigeria: Evidence for the Success of focal malaria control intervention programmes

Authors: Celina O Aju-Ameh, Samson T Awolola, Georgina S Mwansat and Hayward B Mafuyai
A descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted in fourteen communities to investigate the people’s perception of causes, signs, symptoms, preventive measures against malaria and their treatment seeking behaviour. 390 semi structured questionnaires were distributed to persons of age 15 and above in the study communities. A substantial number 84% of the respondents attributed the cause of malaria to mosquito bites, 20.7% attributed the cause of malaria to bad or dirty water while 6.4% said malaria is caused by witchcraft. On signs and symptoms 74.3% of the respondents recognized headache, 64% high temperature as the major sign and symptom of malaria while 54.3% mentioned change in eye colour. There was a significant difference (t=3.372, df= 419, p=0.008) between knowledge of malaria and preventive practices while a one way Anova test showed there was no significant difference (P>0.075) between educational status and preventive practices.

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