Table 2 Knowledge and attitude concerning various malaria aspects of community members in the conflict-affected settings of the South West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon
Variable | Category | Total | Status of study population | p-valuea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IDPs No (%) | Returnee No (%) | Host No (%) | ||||
Malaria transmission | Mosquito bite | 2271 | 536 (94.0) | 475 (93.3) | 1260 (96.9) | 0.001 |
Others | 108 | 34 (6.0) | 34 (6.7) | 40 (3.1) | ||
Methods to avoid getting malaria | Use a mosquito net | 2197 | 516 (90.5) | 459 (90.2) | 1222 (94.0) | 0.004 |
Avoid outdoors at night time | 804 | 235 (41.2) | 147 (28.9) | 623 (47.9) | < 0.001 | |
Other correct answers | 261 | 56 (9.8) | 56 (11.0) | 149 (11.5) | 0.580 | |
Malaria symptoms | Fever | 2252 | 537 (94.2) | 464 (91.2) | 1251 (96.2) | < 0.001 |
Headache | 1616 | 385 (67.5) | 269 (52.8) | 962 (74.0) | < 0.001 | |
Body aches | 787 | 174 (30.5) | 134 (26.3) | 479 (36.8) | < 0.001 | |
Blood in urine | 188 | 49 (8.6) | 42 (8.3) | 97 (7.5) | 0.667 | |
Diarrhoea | 233 | 87 (15.3) | 41 (8.1) | 105 (8.1) | < 0.001 | |
Nausea/vomiting | 922 | 215 (37.7) | 147 (28.9) | 560 (43.1) | < 0.001 | |
Seek help when any symptom is present | Yes | 2291 | 545 (95.6) | 474 (93.1) | 1272 (97.8) | < 0.001 |
No | 78 | 25 (4.4) | 35 (6.9) | 28 (2.2) | ||
Biomedical health-seeking contact | Community health worker | 1437 | 332 (58.2) | 296 (58.2) | 809 (62.2) | 0.135 |
Health facility | 1372 | 307 (53.9) | 228 (44.8) | 837 (64.4) | < 0.001 | |
Knows RDT as diagnostic test | Yes | 1147 | 253 (44.4) | 204 (40.1) | 690 (53.1) | < 0.001 |
No | 1232 | 317 (55.6) | 305 (59.9) | 610 (46.9) | ||
Request for an RDT before treatment | Yes | 1494 | 339 (59.5) | 269 (52.8) | 886 (68.2) | < 0.001 |
No | 885 | 231 (40.5) | 240 (47.2) | 414 (31.8) | ||
Knows name of drug to treat malaria | Yes | 1627 | 394 (69.1) | 300 (58.9) | 933 (71.8) | < 0.001 |
No | 752 | 176 (30.9) | 209 (41.1) | 367 (28.2) | ||
Agree with the following | ||||||
Household is affected by malaria | Yes | 1743 | 424 (74.4) | 358 (70.3) | 961 (73.9) | 0.236 |
No | 636 | 146 (25.6) | 151 (29.7) | 339 (26.1) | ||
Malaria is a matter of concern for me | Yes | 2119 | 499 (87.5) | 437 (85.9) | 1183 (91.0) | 0.003 |
No | 260 | 71 (12.5) | 72 (14.1) | 117 (9.0) | ||
Malaria can have long-term consequences health | Yes | 2046 | 473 (83.0) | 435 (85.5) | 1138 (87.5) | 0.030 |
No | 333 | 97 (17.0) | 74 (14.5) | 162 (12.5) | ||
Testing for malaria before treatment | Yes | 2228 | 534 (91.9) | 476 (93.5) | 1228 (94.5) | 0.117 |
No | 151 | 46 (8.1) | 33 (6.5) | 72 (5.5) | ||
Coartem is the best cure for malaria | Yes | 1389 | 320 (56.1) | 272 (53.4) | 797 (61.3) | 0.004 |
No | 990 | 250 (43.9) | 237 (46.8) | 503 (38.7) | ||
Knowledge category | Inadequate | 1121 | 288 (50.5) | 307 (60.3) | 526 (40.5) | < 0.001 |
Adequate | 1258 | 282 (49.5) | 202 (39.7) | 774 (59.5) | ||