Socio- demographic characteristics of the respondents
A total of 172 students participated in this study. The majority was female (58.1%) while the remaining was male (41.9%). Out of the 172 students who took part in the survey, eighty five (49.4%) were from the Faculty of Science and Science Education (Table 1). The respondents within the age group of 16-20 years had the highest population (60.5%, n=104). Of the respondents, 40.1% were year 4 students, while the remaining (59.9%) were from other academic levels. Eighty three (48.3%) of the students surveyed were from Yoruba ethnic group, (25.6%) were Igbos (Table 1).
Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (n = 172)
Variable
|
N
|
%
|
Gender
|
|
|
Female
|
100
|
58.1
|
Male
|
72
|
41.9
|
Age group (years)
|
|
|
<16
|
6
|
3.5
|
16-20
|
104
|
60.5
|
21-25
|
58
|
33.7
|
26-30
|
4
|
2.3
|
Ethnicity
|
|
|
Yoruba
|
83
|
48.3
|
Igbo
|
44
|
25.6
|
Hausa
|
7
|
4.1
|
Others
|
38
|
22.1
|
Academic Level
|
|
|
Year 1
|
28
|
16.3
|
Year 2
|
29
|
16.9
|
Year 3
|
25
|
14.5
|
Year 4
|
69
|
40.1
|
Others
|
21
|
1.2
|
Faculty
|
|
|
FSSE
|
85
|
49.4
|
FSMS
|
75
|
43.6
|
FHUM
|
12
|
7.0
|
FSSE- Faculty of Science and Science Education, FSMS- Faculty of Social and Management Science, FHUM-Faculty of Humanities
Prevalence and distribution of Malaria according to gender, age and faculty, academic level (n = 172)
Out of the 172 respondents, a total number of 70 (40.7%) students tested positive for malaria. Of these, 27.3% females were positive with malaria parasite while 13.4% males were positive. Majority of the positive cases was found among the age group of 16-20 years (22.7%). The results of the chi-square test showed that the prevalence of malaria was significantly associated with gender (p=0.04). But there was no significant association between age, faculty, academic group and ethnicity. However, among the age groups, 16-20 years had the highest prevalence of 22.7 %.
Knowledge and Practices related to Malaria
Sources of Information on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Pertaining to the sources of information, 47.1% of the students got their knowledge from home. Another source of information was school (33.7 %) of the respondents while a very small proportion had obtained their knowledge from hospital (18.0%) and internet (1.2%).
Knowledge on Malaria
The mean knowledge score was 23 (+7.25). All (100%) participants had heard about malaria. Most (82.0%) of the respondents knew that Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of malaria, while the remaining (18.0%) chose Staphylococcus aureus. The result showed that 94.8% of the respondents knew that the female Anopheles mosquito transmits malaria, about 15.7% said that malaria is caused by extended duration under the sun while others mentioned alcohol (18.0%) and stress (15.7%). Majority (97.1%) of the respondents knew that mosquito bites causes malaria, 87.8% of the respondents knew that malaria is not contagious while the remaining 12.2% of the respondents knew that malaria was contagious. A large proportion (97.1%) knew that malaria can be prevented by using mosquito nets (87.2%). Majority (89.5%) of the respondents knew that malaria can be treated in hospitals/clinics (90.1%), pharmacist/chemist (54.7%), while the remaining respondents thoughts that self-medication (16.9%), local herbs (29.7%) and prayers (19.8%) can treat malaria. Out of the population 95.3% of the respondents have heard of antimalarial drugs, having the knowledge that chloroquine (49.4%), coartem (66.9%) are examples of antimalarial drugs (Table 2). Out of 172 respondents, 132 (76.7%) and 136 (79.1%) knew that strepsils and flagyl, respectively, were not examples of antimalarial drugs, the remaining respondent thoughts that strepsils 40 (23.3%) and flagyl 36 (20.9%) were examples of antimalarial drugs. Majority (79.7%) of the respondents knew that malaria can kill. Probing further on their ability to recognize symptoms, the findings revealed that fever (86.0%) were the most recognized symptom of malaria. Out of the 172 respondents, (64.5%) knew that hair loss is not a symptom of malaria.
Practices related to Malaria Prevention
The mean practice score was 11(+3.2). There were 7 items in this section. More than half 65.7% of the respondents claimed to use Long Lasting Insecticide (LLIN), Thirty-six (20.9%) uses Treated Bed Nets while the remaining 79.1% don’t use treated bed nets because it is not comfortable (42.4%) or due to heat (23.8%), sixty-seven (39.0%) use various kinds of topical mosquito repellents creams, while seventy-eight (45.3%) try to keep their various rooms clean as a way of preventing the breeding of mosquito (Table 3). Out of the percentage, 49.4% respondents take antimalarial prevention drugs.
Respondents who had scores above the mean was classified as having good preventive practices while those with lower scores were categorized as having bad preventive practices. Only 64% of the respondents demonstrated good preventive practices towards malaria.
Table 2: Knowledge on Treatment of malaria
Treatment practices
|
Yes
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
Chloroquine
|
85
|
49.4
|
87
|
50.6
|
Coartem
|
115
|
66.9
|
57
|
33.1
|
Amatem
|
103
|
59.9
|
69
|
40.1
|
Flagyl
|
36
|
20.9
|
136
|
79.1
|
Strepsils
|
40
|
23.3
|
132
|
76.7
|
Antibiotics
|
57
|
33.1
|
115
|
66.9
|
Table 2 show the lkely medications recognized by the participants as effective for the treatment of malaria. Majority 115(66.9%) agree that coartem is good for treating malaria; followed by 103(59.9%) who claimed that Amatem is the drug of choice; followed by Chloroquine, 85(49.4%). The other respondents also indicated drugs like antibiotics, 57(33.1%); Strepsils 40(23.3%); flagyl 36(20.9%).
Table 3: Preventive practices related to malaria
Preventive practices
|
Yes
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
Use of mosquitoes nets
|
36
|
20.9
|
136
|
79.1
|
Use of insecticides
|
113
|
65.7
|
59
|
34.3
|
Use of mosquito repellent cream
|
67
|
39.0
|
105
|
61.0
|
Use of malarial prevention drugs
|
85
|
49.4
|
87
|
50.6
|
Maintaining a clean environment
|
142
|
82.6
|
30
|
17.4
|
Table 3 shows the knowledge of the participants about the preventive measures for malaria. The results in the Table shows that, only 36(20.9%) claim to use mosquito treated nets, however most of the students agreed to using other methods for preventing malaria. For instance, the table shows that, 113(65.7%) claimed to use insecticides, 67(39.0%) claimed to use mosquito repellent cream; 85(49.4%) used antimalarial prevention drugs; while 142(82.6%) claimed to prevent malaria by maintaining a clean environment.
Table 4: Relationship among knowledge, attitude and prevalence of malaria
|
Gender
|
Knowledge
|
Attitude
|
Prevalence
|
Gender
|
R
|
1
|
-.049
|
-.199**
|
.151*
|
P
|
|
.523
|
.009
|
.048
|
N
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
Knowledge
|
R
|
-.049
|
1
|
.030
|
-.017
|
P
|
.523
|
|
.700
|
.822
|
N
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
Attitude
|
R
|
-.199**
|
.030
|
1
|
-.162*
|
P
|
.009
|
.700
|
|
.033
|
N
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
Prevalence
|
R
|
.151*
|
-.017
|
-.162*
|
1
|
P
|
.048
|
.822
|
.033
|
|
N
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
172
|
*Significance: p < 0.05
There is a significant negative relationship (at 0.05 CL) between the attitude of the students and the prevalence of malaria (r = -0.16, p < 0.05). This implies that, as the attitude of the student improves, the prevalence of malaria among them reduced. However, knowledge does not have a significant relationship with prevalence and with attitude (p > 0.05).
Table 5: Influence of mosquito net usage on the incidence of malaria
|
Frequency of malaria in a year
|
Do you use mosquito nets
|
Frequency of malaria in a year
|
r
|
1
|
-.015
|
p
|
|
.844
|
n
|
172
|
172
|
Do you use mosquito nets
|
r
|
-.015
|
1
|
p
|
.844
|
|
n
|
172
|
172
|
There was no significant relationship between the frequency of malaria episodes in a year and the usage of mosquito nets. This probably suggests that the usage of mosquito nets does not significantly reduce the incidence of malaria parasite.